Grilled Tacos al Pastor
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
To help simplify prep, purchase an already peeled and cored pineapple.
The four chipotle chilies in this recipe yield medium-hot spiciness; if you like, reduce the heat
by using only two or three. And be sure to use ancho chili powder, not regular, in this recipe. Regular chili powder is a blend containing herbs, spices, and salt in addition to chili; ancho chili powder is nothing more than ground ancho chilies. If you can’t find ancho chili powder, purchase whole ancho chilies and remove the stems and seeds. Tear the pods into small pieces and pulverize them in a spice grinder.
Leftover pork does not keep well because the raw pineapple will break down the meat. If you don’t plan to serve all of the pork, set some aside before adding the sauce at the end.
1 medium pineapple, peeled
¼ cup grape-seed or other neutral oil, plus more for the pineapple and grill grate
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled
4 chipotle chilies in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ancho chili powder Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice, divided, plus lime wedges, to serve
1¼-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and halved lengthwise
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 corn tortillas, warmed Finely chopped white onion, to serve
Cut seven ½-inch-thick rounds from the pineapple. Quarter two of the rounds, trimming and discarding the core, and place the pieces in a food processor or blender. Add the oil, brown sugar, garlic, chipotles and adobo, cumin, ancho powder, and 4 teaspoons salt. Process or blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl or jar as needed. Pour ½ cup of the puree into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; pour the rest into a small bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the lime juice and set aside.
Place the tenderloin halves between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, gently pound the pork to an even ½-inch thickness. Season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper, place in the baking dish, and turn to coat with the puree. Let marinate while you prepare the grill.
Prepare a grill for direct, medium-high-heat cooking. For a charcoal grill, spread a large chimney of hot coals evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, set all burners to medium-high. Heat the grill, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate.
Brush the 5 remaining pineapple rounds with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on the hot side of the grill and cook until charred on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Place the tenderloin halves on the hot side of the grill and cook, uncovered, until nicely grill-marked, about 3 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, scrape the pork free from the grill grate, then flip. Cook until the second sides are nicely grill-marked and the center reaches 140
degrees or is just barely pink when cut into, about another 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Chop the pineapple slices into rough ½-inch pieces, trimming and discarding the core. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cilantro, the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut the pork crosswise on the diagonal into thin slices. Transfer to a medium bowl, pour in any pork juices on the plate, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple puree. Serve the pork, the chopped pineapple, and the remaining reserved pineapple puree with the tortillas, chopped onion, and lime wedges.