Tacos Al Pastor with Pineapple Salsa Roja
Tags: Crock Pot Dinner Mexican Morning Prep Overnight Prep Pork
Yield: 6
- 4 dried guajillo chilies
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 dried chipotle chili
- 1 pineapple, peeled and cored
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (2 pound) pork butt or shoulder
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup cilantro
- 2 limes, cut into wedges (optional)
- Toast the dried chilies in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, let them cool, cut them in half and remove the seeds and stems.
- Cover the chilies in boiling water and let sit until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Puree the chilies, 1/2 of the pineapple (coarsely chopped), 1/2 the onion, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth optionally using some of the water the chilies were soaking in if needed.
- Rub half the sauce over the pork and let marinate for an hour to overnight.
- Place the pork and marinade in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove the pork, roughly shred, discarding any excess fat, mix in some of the juices along with half of the remaining sauce.
- Serve the al pastor pork in tortillas with the remaining pineapple, onions and the cilantro with lime wedges and the remaining salsa on the side.
- Option: Replace the dried chilies with 2-4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce or ground chili powder or cayenne to taste.
- Option: Slice the second half of the pineapple and grill it before cutting it into small pieces for the tacos.
- Option: Add a couple of tablespoons of achiote to get a nice red colour.
