This taco is a very simple flavour combination – pork, chile, achiote and a pinch of a few magic ingredients.  One taste and you will be transported straight to Mexico City.  It is really a mix of influences that make up Mexican food – the pre and post-Columbian flavours, melded together and then roasted – historically it would have been fire-roasted as in the style of the city’s Lebanese immigrants of the last century.  We’ve used pork but the spit was traditionally lamb, hence the name Tacos al Pastor, or, The Shepard's Taco.

You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.  You will need a roasting pan, bamboo skewers, an oven and a bbq or griddle plate.

Serves: 4 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Marinating time: 24 hours

Cooking time: 35 minutes

 

Ingredients

For the Pork

2 chile Guajillo, stemmed and seeded

Juice of 1 orange

2 chipotles in adobo and 2 tbsp. adobo liquid

3 garlic cloves

20g achiote paste

½ tsp Mexican oregano

2 tbsp. white vinegar

1 ½ tsp salt

600g boneless pork neck, hammered into thin steaks

150 g fresh pineapple, with 6 x 1 cm cubes cut and the remainder finely chopped

3 bamboo skewers

½ cup finely diced white onion

½ cup chopped coriander

300 g corn tortillas

Pico de Gallo salsa

3 roma tomato, finely diced

1 small white onion, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

½ green jalapeño chilli, finely chopped

¼ bunch coriander, chopped

1 scant tsp salt

 

Method

Soak the guajillo chilli in hot water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and blend with the remaining marinade ingredients until very smooth. Add to the pork pieces and coat well. Marinate for 24 hours.

Preheat an oven to 150˚C and preheat a BBQ or griddle pan.  Line a pan with foil or baking paper and set aside. Take pork out of marinade and quickly sear on BBQ plate.  Once seared remove and then layer the pork pieces onto the reserved pan with the baking paper - make three individual portions of pork. Place a skewer vertically through the centre to secure, and then add two pieces of pineapple to each skewer. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

While the pork cooks, mix together the ingredients from the pico de gallo salsa and check seasoning. Reserve.

After 25 minutes - remove the pork from the pan and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, slice the pork into thin pieces and place on a serving plate to share. Pour some of the pan juices over and garnish liberally with onion, pineapple and coriander.

Serve immediately with warm tortillas and pico de gallo salsa for each person to make their own tacos.