Best Spicy Pork Tacos Al Pastor Americas Test Kitchen Recipes

SPICY PORK TACOS (AL PASTOR) - AMERICAS TEST KITCHEN RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Toast guajillos in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until softened and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to large plate and, when cool enough to handle, remove stems. 2. Bring toasted guajillos, water, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, cumin, and cloves to simmer in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until guajillos are softened and tomatoes mash easily, about 20 minutes. 3. While sauce simmers, trim excess fat from exterior of pork, leaving ¼-inch-thick fat cap. Slice pork against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slabs. 4. Transfer guajillo-tomato mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return puree to pot, submerge pork slices in liquid, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat, and gently simmer until pork is tender but still holds together, 90 to 105 minutes, flipping and rearranging pork halfway through cooking. (Pork can be left in sauce, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.) 5. Transfer pork to large plate, season both sides with salt, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Whisk sauce to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup to bowl for grilling; pour off all but 1/2 cup remaining sauce from pot and reserve for another use. Squeeze 2 lime wedges into sauce in pot and add spent wedges; season with salt to taste. 6A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. 6B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium. 7. Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush 1 side of pork with ¼ cup reserved sauce. Place pork on 1 side of grill, sauce side down, and cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Brush pork with remaining ¼ cup reserved sauce, flip, and continue to cook until second side is well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Transfer to cutting board. Meanwhile, brush both sides of pineapple rings with vegetable oil and season with salt to taste. Place on other half of grill and cook until pineapple is softened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes per side; transfer pineapple to cutting board. 8. Coarsely chop grilled pineapple and transfer to serving bowl. Using tongs or carving fork to steady hot pork, slice each piece crosswise into 1/8-inch pieces. Bring remaining 1/2 cup sauce in pot to simmer, add sliced pork, remove pot from heat, and toss to coat pork well. Season with salt to taste. 9. Spoon small amount of pork into each warm tortilla and serve, passing chopped pineapple, remaining 6 lime wedges, onion, and cilantro separately.

INSTANT POT® TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Place pork in a large lidded container. Combine pineapple juice, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and sazon in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour sauce over the pork and make sure all chunks of meat are covered. Seal the container and marinate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add chunks of marinated pork and brown on all sides, reserving extra sauce, about 5 minutes. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your Instant Pot®. Turn off Saute mode and pour reserved sauce over the pork. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 35 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure first using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 10 minutes. Release remaining pressure using the manufacturer's quick release method, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Remove the pork chunks from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon, and place them on the baking sheet. Reserve the sauce in the Instant Pot® for now.
• Use forks to coarsely shred the pork, removing and discarding any excess fatty chunks. Spread meat out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Add pineapple chunks to the baking sheet with the meat, then place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil until the tips of the meat and pineapple are beginning to get a little brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Use a spoon to drizzle the reserved sauce from the Instant Pot® over the meat to moisten it and add some more of the marinade flavor.
• Create tacos by portioning the pork and pineapple chunks on flour tortillas. Add chopped red onion, pico de gallo salsa, avocado, and cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges.