Hello tacos!

It's no secret to anyone that knows me well (or even not that well...haha) that I love tacos.  My whole family does, and fish taco friday was a consistent thing in our household until we realized how expensive and how much work it was!  We still have them often though, and I thought it was time we mixed things up! 

So....let me introduce tacos al pastor!  There's pork!  And grilled pineapple!  And spiciness!  

I love how all of the flavours come together, from the smokiness of the pork marinade and sauce, to the sweetness of the grilled pineapple.  Of course it'd be remiss of me to leave out the guacamole or homemade pico de gallo we made!

Also, may I recommend you make my simple lime daiquiris to serve with these tacos?  Easy and refreshing!

tacos al pastor

directions:

For the sauce, place 3/4 of the onion, 1/2 of the entire pineapple, vinegar, chile powder, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, chipotle chiles, and adobo sauce in a blender and blend the mixture until it's nice and smooth. *Set aside 1/4 cup of sauce to serve with the tacos.

Cut your pork roast into 1/2-inch thick slices, and layer in a casserole dish, alternating with sauce so that the pork is all covered by sauce.

Allow the pork to marinate for 2-4 hours.  

While the pork is marinating, I suggest making your pico de gallo and guacamole if you're doing those from scratch!

Cook the pork in a frying pan on medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side.  (Use a meat thermometer to check their doneness if you'd like!)

Grease the pan between each batch of pork to keep the sauce from sticking too badly.  I liked to clean out any extra sauce or fat out of the pan between batches as well to keep them from burning onto the pan. (This would also be great grilled on a bbq!  I was out of propane, otherwise I would have!)

Once the pork has been cooked through, cut each slice into smaller strips for serving in tacos. (*It's easier to work with and cook larger pieces of meat, and easier to cut once they're cooked).  Toss all of the pork back into the frying pan to warm up right before serving.

Meanwhile, cut the other half of the pineapple into 1/2-inch strips, and use a grill pan to cook them for about 1 minute per side on medium-high heat, or until they have grill marks! 

Warm up corn tortilla shells right before serving!

I loaded up the tacos with guacamole, pico de gallo, diced onions, pork, cilantro, pineapple, and a bit of the marinade that I had kept separate.  Enjoy!

recipe adapted from: Emily - Bound by Food

ingredients:

1 large white onion, divided (3/4 in sauce, 1/4 for plating [optional])

1 large fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick long strips

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chile powder

4 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp cumin

2-4 canned chipotle chiles (these are spicy, adjust according to your taste buds!)

1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce (*this is what the canned chiles are in)

3 lbs pork roast (I used a butt roast)

corn tortillas

cilantro

cotija (not picture, but recommended)

lime wedges

guacamole

pico de gallo

There you have it...tacos al pastor!  Perfect for Summer, or for whenever you want the taste of Summer!

-Kelsey