Mexican tacos al pastor

How to make some tacos al Pastor .

In today’s meat recipe I present you the most famous taco in the world: that of pastor. The taco with which we enjoy Mexican cuisine throughout the world. Ideal for an aperitif with friends, start of a good meal or a delicious dinner full of flavor.

The tacos tacos pastor or spin are one of the most popular varieties of taco in Mexico. Although in some places in northern Mexico they usually call it taco de adobada.

I have a lot of family in Mexico and when I go there, the first thing we do when we arrive is to go to a taqueria. Huge meat tops, similar to the kebabs you find in Spain, are usually presented  in the restaurant. That is the meat that they usually use in tacos, but at home we usually simplify the process so that it is much easier to prepare.

Its origin is the result of the fusion of a dish with Arab roots, the döner kebab , which adds a Mexican touch to the meat. Lebanese immigrants introduced it to Mexico in the mid-20th century. They say it is the result of adapting shawarma , an Arabic recipe with grilled lamb meat upright.

The secret of tacos al pastor lies in the quality of the ingredients and the flavor of the marinade with which we marinate the pork. A combination of spices, ground red chilies, vinegar and annatto, which gives it that attractive red color. All served with coriander, onion, lemon and sauce.

There is a wide variety of tacos depending on the meat used and the way of preparing it. From the tacos with chicken tinga , to the super popular cochinita pibil  or the tacos with prawns . It is a very simple recipe that I assure you will be a success, you will tell me.

Preparation of the pig to the shepherd. Marinade for meat

1. In the blender we place the achiote paste, the chipotle peppers, white onion, garlic, bay leaves, tomatoes, 100 gr. of fresh pineapple, apple cider vinegar, water, oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Beat until there is a uniform paste. We reserve.
2. We place the loin piece in a bag that can be hermetically closed. Pour the marinade over the pork, close the bag and rub all the juice well so that the pasta impregnates the meat well. Let it marinate for 24 hours in the fridge.
3. Half an hour before putting the loin in the oven we take it out of the fridge to warm it up. We season again.

Baked pork baked

1. We preheat the oven to 190º C. Place the pork and the marinade in a container that we can cover and that serves for the oven, logically without the bag. We remove the pasta or sauce that remains in it and put it in a cup, we will use it later.
2. We cover with the lid and we are going to roast it for 2 hours.
3. We place the loin with the oven previously heated to 170º C and bake with heat above and below, without a fan , for 2 hours.
4. We uncover after that time and already out of the container we put it on a baking tray. We bake at 190º C with heat from above and below, without fan , for 1 hour. Spread the top with sauce and after half an hour we turn it over and repeat the process.
5. The piece that we have baked is 1 kilo and a half, if the piece is larger, calculate a little more time.
6. When it is ready, remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting or chopping it.
7. We place the pork on a tray, pour the juices from the tray over the pork and cover so that it stays warm.

Final presentation of the tacos al pastor

1. To do this, we peel and chop the tomatoes and cut them into small cubes. We wash and cut the fresh coriander very small and peel the onion (it can be purple) and cut it into thin julienne strips or dice.
2. We mix these ingredients in a bowl. We salt and water with the juice from the other file.
3. We heat the corn tortillas on a large grill or griddle. We wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them warm.
4. We cut the already cooked meat to form the tacos.
5. To prepare each taco we take a hot omelette. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of meat and cover with onion, cilantro, finely chopped, a little lime, pineapple pieces and sauce.

They are a real yummy treat, with a spicy touch that I love. A perfect, informal snack as I like it accompanied by the essential guacamole .

To drink, Mezcal the bravest and Mexican beer the least daring. I encourage you to try doing it at home, the result is impressive.

Although we can buy Mexican tortillas in any supermarket if we go to a store specialized in Latin products we will find some of better quality. And of course, you can encourage yourself to make them at home, you have how to make corn tortillas or wheat tortillas in the blog. They are delicious and very easy to make, once you try them, you will no longer like others.