Tacos Al Pastor
🌮Gratuit

Tacos Al Pastor

30m
Prépa
20m
Cuisson
4
Portions
Moyen
Difficulté

Tacos mexicains emblématiques — porc mariné à l'achiote grillé à la broche avec ananas, coriandre et oignon sur tortillas de maïs.

#mexican#pork#tacos#street-food#grilled#spicy

Portions

4portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories450
protein32g
carbs42g
fat16g
fiber5g

Par portion

Étapes

Toast and soak the chilies

Toast and soak the chilies

Toast the guajillo chilies in a dry pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, until fragrant and a bit darker but not burnt. Put them in a bowl, cover with the boiling water, and let them sit until soft.

  • 3 guajillo chiles
  • 2 cups boiling water

✅ C'est prêt quand : chilies are soft and bend easily

⏱15:00
Make the marinade

Make the marinade

Drain the soaked chilies and put them in a blender with the achiote paste, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and cumin. Blend until completely smooth.

  • 3 tbsp achiote paste
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

✅ C'est prêt quand : smooth, deep red-orange puree with no chunks

Marinate the pork

Marinate the pork

Put the pork slices in a large bowl, season lightly with salt, and pour the marinade over them. Mix with your hands so every piece is coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.

  • 500g pork shoulder
  • to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : pork looks evenly red-orange and coated

⏱2:00:00
Grill the pork and pineapple

Grill the pork and pineapple

Heat a grill or cast-iron pan over high heat and brush with the oil. Cook the pork slices 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through with dark, slightly charred edges, grilling the pineapple slices alongside until golden with grill marks.

  • 500g marinated pork (from step 3)
  • 1/2 pineapple slices
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

✅ C'est prêt quand : pork is cooked through with charred edges, pineapple is golden

⏱2:30
Chop and mix

Chop and mix

Chop the grilled pork into small pieces and cut the grilled pineapple into small cubes, then mix them together in a bowl.

  • 500g grilled pork
  • 1/2 grilled pineapple

✅ C'est prêt quand : pork and pineapple are evenly chopped and mixed

Warm the tortillas

Warm the tortillas

Heat each corn tortilla over a gas flame or in a dry pan for about 30 seconds per side, until it puffs slightly and gets a few dark spots. Stack the warm tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft.

  • 12 corn tortillas

✅ C'est prêt quand : tortillas are puffed with a few dark spots

⏱0:30
Assemble the tacos

Assemble the tacos

Stack two warm tortillas for each taco and fill with the pork and pineapple mixture. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve right away.

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Mexico City, Mexico📅 1920s-1930s🌮 MX

Tacos Al Pastor were born from the fusion of Lebanese shawarma and Mexican cuisine. Lebanese immigrants arrived in Mexico in the early 20th century, bringing their vertical spit-roasting technique. Mexican cooks adapted this method, replacing lamb with pork and adding local ingredients like achiote, pineapple, and chili peppers.

The name 'al pastor' means 'shepherd style,' a nod to the Middle Eastern shepherds who originally roasted meat on vertical spits. The iconic trompo (spinning meat cone) became a fixture of Mexico City's street food scene by the 1960s.

Today, tacos al pastor are considered Mexico City's signature street food, with thousands of taquerías serving them from dusk to dawn.

⭐ Why It's Famous

Al Pastor represents the beautiful cultural fusion that defines Mexican cuisine. The combination of smoky marinated pork, sweet pineapple, and fresh cilantro creates an irresistible flavor that has made it the most ordered taco in Mexico City.

💡 Fun Fact

A skilled taquero can slice meat off the trompo so fast that thin pieces fly directly onto waiting tortillas — a technique that takes years to master.

🌮

Mexico City, Mexico

19.43°N, -99.13°W