Skillet Tacos al Pastor with Charred Pineapple

Name: Skillet Tacos al Pastor with Charred Pineapple
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, sliced ¼ inch thick; 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 tbsp achiote paste; 3 garlic cloves; 1 large white onion (half for the marinade, half chopped to serve); 1 orange, juiced; 3 limes (1 juiced, 2 in wedges); ½ pineapple, peeled and cut in ½-inch slices; 18 corn tortillas; 1 bunch cilantro, chopped; 1 cup salsa verde; ⅓ cup white vinegar; 2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp allspice; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp salt

DinnerMexican60 minServes 6775 kcal43 g protein

Photo: William Neuheisel · CC BY 2.0 · source

Mexico City's favorite taco without the spit: thin pork shoulder slices marinated in a guajillo-achiote adobo, seared crisp in a hot skillet and tucked into tortillas with charred pineapple, onion and cilantro.

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Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, sliced ¼ inch thick
3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tbsp achiote paste
3 garlic cloves
1 large white onion (half for the marinade, half chopped to serve)
1 orange, juiced
3 limes (1 juiced, 2 in wedges)
½ pineapple, peeled and cut in ½-inch slices
18 corn tortillas
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup salsa verde

From your pantry: ⅓ cup white vinegar, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt.

Instructions

Toast the guajillos in a dry skillet over medium for 1 minute per side. Simmer them in water until soft, about 12 minutes, then drain.
Blend the chiles with the garlic, half the onion, the achiote, orange juice, juice of 1 lime, vinegar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, brown sugar, pepper and salt until smooth. Set aside ¼ cup, and toss the pork with the rest. Marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high with a little oil. Brush the pineapple with the reserved marinade and sear until charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then chop.
Sear the pork in batches in a single layer with a little more oil until charred at the edges and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Rest a few minutes, then chop into small pieces on the board.
Warm the tortillas. Serve the pork in doubled-up tortillas with the pineapple, chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges and salsa verde.

Tip: Freeze the pork for 30 to 40 minutes before slicing; firm meat is much easier to cut thin. Leftover pork with melted cheese in a flour tortilla is a gringa.