Homemade Beef Tacos al Pastor
Flank or skirt steak sliced thin and marinated in a blended adobo of guajillo and ancho chiles, achiote, pineapple juice and vinegar, seared in batches and served in warm corn tortillas with charred pineapple, onion, cilantro and lime.
Ingredients
Al pastor marinade
- 3 dried guajillo chiles (about 20 g / ¾ oz)
- 1 dried ancho chile (about 15 g / ½ oz)
- 120 ml (½ cup) pineapple juice, canned or bottled
- 60 ml (¼ cup) orange juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) white or apple cider vinegar
- 30 g (1 oz) achiote paste (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 tsp sauce (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Beef and pineapple
- 700 g (1 ½ lb) flank or skirt steak
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, divided
- 4 rings fresh pineapple, 1 cm (⅜ in) thick, cored (about 250 g / 9 oz)
To serve
- 12–16 small corn tortillas, 12–15 cm (5–6 in)
- ½ white onion, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- salsa verde or hot sauce
Instructions
- Stem and seed the chiles, toast in a dry pan for 15–20 seconds per side until fragrant, then soak in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Drain the chiles and blend with all the other marinade ingredients until completely smooth.
- Freeze the steak 20 minutes, then slice across the grain about 5 mm (¼ in) thick.
- Mix the beef with two-thirds of the marinade and refrigerate 1–8 hours (no more than 2 hours if using fresh pineapple juice). Refrigerate the rest of the marinade.
- Brush the pineapple with oil and char in a very hot cast-iron pan for 2–3 minutes per side. Dice.
- Sear the beef in batches in a little oil over high heat, 1–2 minutes undisturbed, then 1 minute more, until charred at the edges.
- Return all the beef to the pan with 2–3 tbsp reserved marinade and the pineapple and toss 1 minute until glossy.
- Warm the tortillas on a dry hot pan 30–45 seconds per side and keep them wrapped in a tea towel.
- Fill the tortillas with beef and pineapple, top with onion and cilantro, and serve with lime and salsa.
Notes
- Traditional al pastor uses pork shoulder: slice 5 mm (¼ in) thick, marinate 4–24 hours and sear until at least 63°C (145°F).
- Grill: marinate the steak whole, grill over high heat 4–5 minutes per side to 54–57°C (130–135°F), rest 5 minutes and slice thinly across the grain.
- No dried chiles: use 2 tbsp pure ancho chile powder plus 1 tsp paprika. No achiote: use 1 tbsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp extra vinegar.
- Storage: marinade up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen; cooked beef 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. Reheat in a very hot pan.