WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The traditional pork filling for tacos al pastor, or “shepherd-style” tacos, is made from thin slices of chile-marinated pork that are tightly packed onto a vertical spit and roasted. The concept of the
vertical rotisserie was brought to Mexico by Arab immigrants in the 19th century (the process is similar to shawarma), but the flavors are thoroughly Mexican. The pork is often topped with a whole pineapple, the juices of which drip down the meat and encourage the pork to caramelize. When the exterior is browned and crisp, thin shavings of the roasted pork and pineapple are carved off into a warm tortilla and then topped with garnishes that contrast with the rich meat: minced raw onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Of course, most home cooks don’t own a vertical rotisserie, so we set out to translate this ultraflavorful taco filling for the American home kitchen. We started off with traditional pork shoulder; its rich marbling created good flavor and helped to keep the pork
tender. To infuse the pork with our guajillo chile–tomato marinade, we braised ½-inch-thick slabs (the thinnest we could reasonably create with a chef’s knife) in the marinade until they were tender and juicy. To replicate the crisp, browned exterior of authentic versions, we grilled the slabs over a hot fire. Basting the pork with the braising liquid, which was rich with the rendered pork drippings, made the meat ultratender. A few grilled pineapple rounds made a perfect traditional garnish. Boneless pork butt is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. This pork also tastes great as a topping for Tostadas, Sopes, Gorditas, and Panuchos or as a filling for Tamales. Serve with chopped onion,
diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced radish.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 12 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into ½-inch pieces (1½ cups)
• 1½ cups water
• 1¼ pounds plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 pounds boneless pork butt roast, fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch thick and sliced against grain into ½-inch-thick slabs
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• ½ pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch-thick rings
• Vegetable oil
• 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toast guajillos in dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in water, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, cumin, and cloves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until guajillos are softened and tomatoes mash easily, about 20 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids and return puree to pot.
4. Add pork to pot, submerge in sauce, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat, and gently simmer until pork is tender but still holds together, 1½ to 1¾ hours, flipping and rearranging pork halfway through cooking. (pork and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
5. Transfer pork to large plate, season both sides with salt, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Whisk sauce to combine. Transfer ½ cup to bowl for grilling. Pour off all but ½ cup sauce left in pot (reserve excess sauce for another use). Squeeze 2 lime wedges into sauce in pot and add spent lime wedges; season with salt to taste. Brush pineapple with oil and season with salt. 6a. For a charcoal grill: open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. 6b. For a gas grill: turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium.
6. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place pineapple on grill and cook, turning as needed, until softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to cutting board. Meanwhile, brush 1 side of pork with ¼ cup reserved sauce, then place on grill, sauce side down. Cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with second side using remaining ¼ cup reserved sauce; transfer to cutting board and tent with foil.
7. Working in batches, warm tortillas on hot grill until soft and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Stack in clean kitchen towel and wrap tightly to keep warm.
8. Using sharp knife, cut pork and pineapple into ½-inch pieces; transfer to serving platter. Serve with tortillas, cilantro, pineapple, and remaining 6 lime wedges.