Not only is it more authentic but it cooks easier as well. A trompo is really the route you want to go with making al pastor. Now it is finally time to place your meat on your trompo and get cooking. Pour the marinade into the bowl with the pork and mix thoroughly to coat all of the pork. Next, stir in the pepper, salt, cumin, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon. Pass the mixture through a coarse strainer to remove any remaining seeds and larger pieces of pepper skin. You want the chiles chopped as finely as possible. Unfortunately this is one ingredient that you really can't skip or substitute if you want to make authentic al pastor tacos.īlend the chiles and liquids until smooth and uniform. Place the chiles in a blender or food processor along with the pineapple juice, vinegar, and achiote paste.Īchiote paste, also called annatto paste, can also be found at most Latin or Mexican groceries. After 30 minutes carefully remove the chiles from the water and remove the stems and rinse to remove the seeds. Move the toasted chiles to a bowl of hot water and soak for 30 minutes. Note: if you were stuck buying those old crunchy dried chiles they pay not plump up, so flip them when they become aromatic. You will want your oven hood on for this. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and toast the dried chiles until they begin to puff up or smell fragrant then flip and repeat with the other side. The key is to just get them toasted without burning them, which will cause them to become bitter. To release the flavor from the chiles you are going to want to give them a brief toast. If you have a Latin market near you that is where I would head. If you attempt to bend the chile and it turns to dust like an ancient Egyptian artifact the peppers are likely really old and will have lost a lot of their flavor.
When selecting dried chiles for this recipe try to use dried chiles that are still a little pliable when you bend them. You will need dried guajillo and ancho or pasilla chiles, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, pineapple juice, white vinegar, achiote paste and garlic.
Now it is time to prepare the marinade for your Trompo Al Pastor Tacos. Remove any large chunks of fat and the fat cap as well. The thinner the slices the more surface area you are going to have to coat with the flavorful marinade so put those knife skills to work (or ask your butcher to slice it for you). Slice your port butt as thinly as possible and place the pork slices in a large bowl. Have extra pork butt? Use it to make some Carolina Style Pulled Pork or some Hatch Chile Verde. This will also result in a shorter time on the grill and less of that coveted crispy outside of the cooked pork. You can certainly use pork loin if you wish but it is very lean and thus will need to be pulled at temps closer to 145 degrees to keep it from drying out. The intramuscular fat really helps keep the pork from drying out and imparts some great flavor. Over the years we have trialed a number of different cuts of meat for our al pastor but always come back to pork butt/pork shoulder.
You will need about 2-3 pounds of pork for this recipe but you may adjust it depending on the size of your trompo. Enough history, lets make some tacos! Al Pastor on a trompo in Kansas City Making the Trompo Al Pastor Tacos Meat selection for your al pastor Gradually, over time, the lamb was replaced by pork and the modern day al pastor taco was born.
This method of cooking was introduced to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants who brought over their method of cooking shawarma. Traditionally al pastor tacos are cooked on a rotating spit called a trompo. Thankfully, now I have learned to make this perfect culinary creation at home on our grill, simulating the way authentic taquerias prepare them. I still remember that first bite of that slightly crispy yet juicy pork, sweet charred pineapple, onions and cilantro wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Of all of the tacos, however, al pastor tacos always hold a special place in my heart. They just always seem to take me to my happy place. They are one of the few foods that I feel like I could eat every single day and never get tired of them. What can I say about them that has not been said before. " Surround yourself with tacos, not negativity." -someone very wise Protein: Origin: Mexican Method: Grill or Smoker Jump to Recipe Trompo Al Pastor Tacos
0 kommentar(er)
