The highlight of my most recent trip to Mexico was al pastor tacos from a street-side taco shop. This shop followed tradition by cooking chile-spiced pork on a spit with a pineapple on top for hours. The juice from the pineapple drips down to flavor and tenderize the meat. Tender slices of the pork and pineapple are sliced off the spit and served in corn tortillas with cilantro, onions and freshly squeezed lime.
The same flavors of al pastor are recreated for the slow cooker in this recipe. The pork simmers in a sauce made of chili, pineapple, onion, garlic and spices. Wrap the pork in warmed corn tortillas topped with pineapple, red onion, cilantro and lime to sample a taste of Mexican street tacos.
Al pastor pork tacos
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 hours, 15 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients5 lbs pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2-inch cubes
1 whole pineapple, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, chopped
1 ⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 chiles in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chili powder
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Corn tortillas
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Directions1. Add the pork shoulder cubes to the 6 quart-slow cooker.
2. Reserve ½ cup pineapple and ¼ cup red onion for garnish.
3. In a blender, add remaining pineapple and red onion with the chicken broth, chiles, adobo sauce, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic, chili powder, orange juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour the sauce over the pork shoulder. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours until pork is tender and shreddable.
5. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the pork from the slow cooker. Reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the meat with a knife and fork.
6. Serve in tortillas with reserved red onion, pineapple, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and drizzle on reserved cooking liquid.
Pro tip: Grill the reserved pineapple garnish in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet for a more authentic taste.
