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Mexican · Dinner

Tacos al Pastor

Non-vegEasy

Diet: Non-veg · High-protein

Tacos al Pastor is a Mexican dish. This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.

Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Rest, soak, marinate or chill
240 min
Total
290 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Mexican
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Representative photograph of Tacos al Pastor.
Representative photograph of Tacos al Pastor. Garnishes and presentation may differ. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 4

Marinade

Pan

Serve

Equipment

Kitchen scales; measuring jug and spoons; knife; cutting board; mixing bowls; heavy frying pan; spatula; blender; food thermometer; heatproof spoon; spatula.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed recipe, not every substitution.

Steps

Marinate · About 240 min

  1. Blend marinade ingredients from 700 g pork shoulder, thinly sliced, 100 ml pineapple juice, 30 g achiote paste, 30 ml white vinegar, 15 g garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, ¾ tsp salt, coat pork and refrigerate 4 hours.

Cook · About 5 min

  1. Heat oil from 25 ml neutral oil, 200 g pineapple, diced; sear pork in batches 4–5 minutes per side to 63°C / 145°F; rest 3 minutes. Fry pineapple 3 minutes.

    Check: The food must be hot through at 63°C / 145°F.

Serve · About 8 min

  1. Chop pork, warm tortillas from 12 corn tortillas, 100 g onion, chopped, 20 g coriander, 40 ml lime juice and fill with pork, pineapple, onion, coriander and lime.

Tips

  • This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.
  • Judge Tacos al Pastor by the texture and doneness signs in its steps. Your pan and heat affect how long Tacos al Pastor takes to cook.

Substitutions

  • In Tacos al Pastor, replace pineapple juice in the marinade with orange juice.

Storage

  • Get perishable Tacos al Pastor into the fridge within two hours, or within one hour above 32°C / 90°F. Eat Tacos al Pastor within two days, keeping it covered at 4°C / 40°F or colder.
  • Bring cooked Tacos al Pastor to 74°C / 165°F, stirring or turning it for even heating. When Tacos al Pastor is part of the meal, serve cold salads, dips and chilled desserts straight from safe refrigeration.
  • If Tacos al Pastor includes a thick sauce or soup, loosen it with a little water during gentle reheating. Any crisp coating on Tacos al Pastor becomes softer in storage.

Make ahead

  • Prepare the measured ingredients for Tacos al Pastor one day ahead. For Tacos al Pastor, refrigerate chopped vegetables apart from the other perishable ingredients. Follow the cooking stages for Tacos al Pastor on the day of serving.

FAQ

What matters most when making Tacos al Pastor?

This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.

What can I substitute in Tacos al Pastor?

In Tacos al Pastor, replace pineapple juice in the marinade with orange juice.

Can I prepare Tacos al Pastor ahead?

Prepare the measured ingredients for Tacos al Pastor one day ahead. For Tacos al Pastor, refrigerate chopped vegetables apart from the other perishable ingredients. Follow the cooking stages for Tacos al Pastor on the day of serving.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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