Al Pastor (On skewers)
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Categories

  • Tex-Mex
  • BBQ Pork
  • Al Pastor (On skewers)

    A popular pork dish in Central America in which pork is marinated in pineapple, chilies and spices then stacked and (typically) vertically roasted on a slowly turning spit with a pineapple on top which bathes the pork with its juices. This skewer recipe will let you experiment at home without the fancy equipment.

    What is Achiote Paste? This spice paste is made from the annato seed that gives the Al Pastor its traditional bright red-orange color as well as oregano, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, garlic and salt. It is slightly sweet, peppery, nutty and smoky. You can find it in any Mexican market or you can Amazon-it.

    Or here is an substitue.

    What you need

    Skewers

    1 1/2 - 2 pounds pork tenderloin cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
    1 pineapple cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
    1 red bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
    1 green bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
    1 large onion sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
    5 tablespoons olive oil divided

    Marinade/Sauce

    4 dried Guajillo chiles
    1/3 cup canned pineapple juice*
    1/3 cup orange juice
    1 onion peeled, halved
    4 garlic cloves peeled
    3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    2 tablespoons achiote paste (see notes)
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    1 chopped chipotle pepper from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
    1 tablespoon ground cumin
    1 tablespoon dried oregano
    1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

    Instructions

    Chiles

    Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add guajillo chiles and toast until blistered in spots and fragrant, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer peppers to a cutting board. Once cool, cut tops off chiles, cut in half and remove seeds, taking care not to touch your eyes. Add chiles back to skillet and cover with water. Simmer 3-5 minutes until softened.

    Marinade

    Remove softened chilies to blender along with all Marinade ingredients and blend until smooth.
    Add pork to a shallow dish or freezer size bag. Add 1 cup marinade and 3 tablespoons olive oil, stir to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours.
    Add pineapple, bell peppers and onions to a separate bowl. Add ¼ cup marinade and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate. (You can prep veggies at any point – they don’t have to marinate.) Refrigerate remaining marinade separately.

    Assemble

    NOTE: Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before grilling or broiling.
    When ready to cook, thread pork, pineapple, bell peppers and onions onto skewers. Dab off excess marinade from pork so it can char.

    Grill

    Grease and preheat grill to high heat. Grill skewers until lightly charred all over, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. You can check a pork cube for doneness if desired. Don't overcook or they won't be as juicy but make sure they are charred and you don't have wet marinade.
    Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve with reserved Marinade as a Dip.

    Notes

    Use Fresh Pineapple for firmenss.
    Cut your pork into 1 1/2 inch cubes in order to keep them juicy.
    Handle Guajillo chilies with care. After you remove the seeds from your dried Guajillo chiles, immediately wash your hands. Take care not to touch your eyes while you are working with them!
    Marinade the pork for at least 2 hours. Use metal skewers because wooden skewers will dry out and catch fire.

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