Al Pastor Tacos With Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa Recipes

TACO PIZZA AL PASTOR WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• To the carafe of a blender, add the pineapple juice, vinegar, oregano, paprika, salt, cumin, black pepper, cloves, garlic and guajillo chiles and blend until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a bowl and add the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F.
• When ready to cook, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Remove the pork from the marinade. Grill the pork, flipping once to ensure even cooking, until grill marks appear, about 7 minutes total; set aside. Grill the pineapple rings until grill marks appear, a minute or two on each side. Roughly chop the pineapple and set aside.
• Flour a work surface and roll the pizza dough out into a large circle about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pizza to a pizza peel lined with parchment paper. Cover the pizza with about 6 tablespoons Tomatillo Salsa, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Then evenly layer on the pork, grilled pineapple, 4 ounces of the queso fresco and the Oaxaca cheese.
• Slide the pizza with the parchment onto the pizza stone. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro, onion and remaining 2 ounces queso fresco. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
• Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno and onion and grill until charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the grilled veggies to the carafe of a blender. Add the lime juice, cilantro, vinegar and some salt and pulse to the desired level of chunkiness. Taste and season as necessary. Use as sauce for pizza and serve the rest on the side with chips.

AL PASTOR TACOS

Steps:

• For the marinade: Blend the orange juice, achiote paste, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper, mashing and stirring until smooth with no lumps. Use mix to marinate pork for 24 hours.
• Preheat a rotisserie or oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place meat on a skewer layering with onions and cook in a rotisserie or bake until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, about 1 hour. Cut thin slices of meat and place on tortillas, followed by a few pieces of fresh pineapple, a sprinkling of chopped onion, a pinch of cilantro, a spoonful of Salsa de Aguacate and Salsa Roja. Serve with lime wedges.
• Blend together avocados, sour cream, jalapenos, cilantro, serrano, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and onion until roasted. Blend very well, then add salt and pepper.

AL PASTOR TACO SALAD WITH SPICY SALSA VERDE RANCH

Steps:

• For the tortilla bowls: Heat the oil in a large, heavy, deep pot to 350 degrees F.
• Gently press a tortilla into the center of 7-inch spider to form a bowl. Using a 5-inch spider, gently press down into the tortilla to hold its shape. Carefully submerge the spiders into the hot oil and fry the tortilla until puffed, crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and gently place upside down on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain of excess oil. Season with salt. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas.
• To make the spicy salsa verde ranch: Mix together the ranch dressing and salsa verde in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded lettuce, cilantro and about 1/3 cup of the salad dressing, adding more if desired. Divide the salad among the 4 tortilla bowls. Top each with 1/2 cup Al Pastor, radishes, Pickled Red Onions and 2 tablespoons queso fresco. Drizzle some dressing on top. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, onion, poblano, garlic and jalapeño. Cook, flipping the veggies as needed to evenly char and soften, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the stem from the poblano chile, so as to not let the juices spill out (we want that yummy pepper juice!) and add to the carafe of a high-speed blender. Squeeze the garlic from the skins into the blender. Add the remaining roasted veggies and any juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the cilantro, lime juice, green onion and salt. Blend on high speed until pureed and smooth.
• In a large bowl, add the achiote paste, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, cloves, black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fully combine into a paste. Add the pork and rub the paste all over to completely coat. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a pressure cooker, mix together the crushed pineapple, chicken broth, garlic, bay leaves, chile, onion, oregano and sage. Add the achiote-rubbed pork. Pressure cook on low for 4 hours or high for 1 hour until the pork is fork-tender. Carefully release the steam away from your face. Remove the pork to a plate or baking sheet and shred using 2 forks.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and spoon some of the braising liquid over to moisten, as needed. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside.
• Place the onions in a food storage container and set aside while you prepare the pickling liquid.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar, granulated sugar, salt, cumin seeds, bay leaf and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar and salt are dissolved, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the onions and allow to pickle for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can either strain the onions to prevent from further pickling and use immediately, or put the lid on top and store in the refrigerator to further pickle until ready to use.

AL PASTOR TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE-JALAPENO SALSA

Steps:

• Slice off the bottom of the pineapple and stand it upright. Remove the rind in large pieces, cutting deep enough to remove all the prickles; reserve the rind. Quarter the pineapple and remove the core. Roughly chop half of the pineapple; reserve the other half for the Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa.
• To a blender, add the orange juice, vinegar, cumin, salt, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic, chipotles and adobo sauce, the roughly chopped sweet onion and the chopped pineapple. Blend until smooth. Place the pork butt in a large resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set a large Dutch oven over high heat and add enough canola oil to cover the bottom. Remove the meat from the marinade and wipe off the excess. Add to the pot and sear on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Pour in the chicken stock and the marinade from the bag (the liquid should come halfway up the meat; add a little water if required). Bring to a simmer, then place the reserved pineapple rinds, skin-side up, over the top to cover. Place, uncovered, in the oven and cook until the rinds are deep brown and the pork is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (tent with foil if necessary).
• Discard the rinds and roughly chop the meat into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with a little braising liquid and keep warm.
• Serve the pork in warm corn tortillas. Garnish with finely diced onion, cilantro, Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa and cotija. Serve with a squeeze of lime.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pineapple, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and chile and mix well. Allow to sit for 10 to 20 minutes before serving so that all the flavors meld together.