Tacos Al Pastor
By Traeger Kitchen
Truly authentic tacos al pastor are near impossible to make in a home kitchen, unless it’s equipped with a spinning vertical spit. That’s because the dish originated with immigrants from Lebanon to Mexico who took their method for cooking shawarma and applied it to tacos, replacing the lamb with pork in the process. Yet this easy, weeknight-friendly preparation hits many of the same notes with spices like cumin and cinnamon, heat from canned chipotles, and bright and sweet pineapple. This makes enough for about 24 street-size tacos; leftovers will keep a couple days covered and refrigerated.
Prep Time
20 Min
Cook Time
35 Min
Pellets
Signature Pellet Blend
Ingredients
This recipe serves:
8
Activating this element will cause content on the page to be updated.Units of Measurement:
Pork
| 1 | fresh pineapple or 1 20-ounce canned pineapple rings |
| 4 | canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce |
| 3 Large | garlic cloves |
| 1 1/2 Ounce | achiote (annatto) paste (from about ½ box) |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 1 Tablespoon | dried oregano, preferably Mexican |
| 1 Tablespoon | kosher sea salt |
| 1 1/2 Teaspoon | ground cumin |
| 1 1/2 Teaspoon | ground cinnamon |
| 1 1/2 Teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 3/4 Cup | apple cider vinegar |
| 3/4 Cup | pineapple juice |
| 3/4 Cup | vegetable oil |
| 2 | (1-1/2 lb) pork tenderloins, silverskin removed |
| 1 | large white onion, halved and thinly sliced |
Serving
| 24 | small (street) corn tortillas |
| Diced red onion | |
| Fresh cilantro, whole leaves or chopped | |
| Lime wedges |
Steps
1
Marinate the pork: If using a fresh pineapple, peel, it, core it, and cut it into thin rings. Place one fresh or canned pineapple ring in a blender or food processor. Dice enough of the remaining rings to get 2 cups. Cover and refrigerate the diced pineapple. (Reserve any remaining pineapple for serving.)
2
Add the chipotle peppers, garlic cloves, achiote, bay leaf, oregano, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper to the blender with the pineapple ring. Pulse a few times to roughly combine. Add the vinegar, pineapple juice, and the oil and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or large zip-top bag. Slice the tenderloin crosswise into ½-inch thick slices and add the slices to the marinade. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours.
3
When ready to cook, heat the Traeger with the lid closed to 375°F; this will take about 15 minutes.
375 ˚F / 191 ˚C
4
Remove the pork from the marinade. (Discard any marinade left in the bowl or bag.) Add a single layer of pork slices to a half-size disposable foil pan or ovenproof casserole. Top with some of the onion and reserved diced pineapple. Repeat to make more layers until all of the ingredients are used up.
5
Place the pan directly on the grill grates and cook until the internal temperature of a piece of pork is about 120°F on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 20 minutes.
375 ˚F / 191 ˚C
00:20
6
Using tongs, transfer the pork slices directly to the hot grill grate. (Leave the pan with onions on the grill.) Cook the pork, flipping once, until the internal temperature is 140°F, about 5 minutes per side.
375 ˚F / 191 ˚C
00:10
7
Transfer the slices to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop them into bite size pieces. Return the chopped pork to the pan and cook until hot, about 5 minutes.
375 ˚F / 191 ˚C
00:05
8
Serve the pork, pineapple, and onion in warmed tortillas and top with red onion, cilantro, and more fresh pineapple if desired. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
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