Al Pastor

Name: Al Pastor
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt, sliced into thin, even slices; 4 dried guajillo chilies, seeded; 2 dried ancho chili, seeded; 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice; 1/4 cup white vinegar; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; to taste salt; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into spears; 1/2 large white onion, diced; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 12 corn tortillas

Mexican marinated pork with vibrant chili-spice flavors inspired by Middle Eastern shawarma. Tender, aromatic, and perfect for tacos with pineapple, onions, and cilantro.

60 minMediumServes 6380 cal/serving

Latin AmericanDinnerStovetopStandard

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

3 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt, sliced into thin, even slices
4 dried guajillo chilies, seeded
2 dried ancho chili, seeded
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
to taste salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into spears
1/2 large white onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
12 corn tortillas

Instructions

1

Toast the dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Soak in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 minutes.
2

Blend the soaked chilies with 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 6 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano until smooth.
3

Strain the marinade through a fine-mesh sieve.
4

Place 3 lbs sliced into thin, even slices pork shoulder or pork butt in a large bowl and pour the marinade over it. Mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator).
5

Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6

Working in batches, sear the marinated pork until caramelized, about 3-4 minutes per side (internal temp 160 degrees F).
7

In the same skillet, char 1/2 cut into spears fresh pineapple on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
8

Serve the al pastor in warm 12 corn tortillas topped with 1/2 large diced white onion, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, and a slice of charred pineapple.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Meal Prep 30 recipes in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What is Al Pastor?

Mexican marinated pork with vibrant chili-spice flavors inspired by Middle Eastern shawarma. Tender, aromatic, and perfect for tacos with pineapple, onions, and cilantro. This reference files it under Latin American dinner: made on the stovetop, rated medium and about 60 minutes start to finish.

How much time should I plan for Al Pastor?

As written, 60 minutes: 30 of prep and 30 of cooking. The longest single stretch is the hands-off wait in step 4, 4 hours. That wait sits outside the stated prep and cook times, so plan around it.

What internal temperature should Al Pastor reach?

For Al Pastor, the target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 6. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

How long should Al Pastor marinate?

Step 4 reads: "Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator)." Follow the time in step 4. Shorter still seasons the surface. Much longer is not better with acidic marinades, which turn the outside of meat or fish mushy.

What can I use instead of Mexican oregano in Al Pastor?

The entry for Al Pastor calls for 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano. In its place: Mediterranean oregano works at slightly less volume; a pinch of ground coriander brings back some of the citrus note.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.