Alison Roman’s Impostor al Pastor Tacos
Alison Roman's al Pastor-inspired tacos feature boneless pork shoulder marinated in a spiced pineapple and chilli purée that caramelises the meat as it cooks. Serve with a pineapple salsa and all the taco fixings to make a crowd-pleasing dinner.
Introduction
I am particular about many things, but like most people from Southern California, when it comes to tacos, I am a straight-up elitist. They are a key part of my genetic makeup. Moving to New York was a real wake-up call when I realised the rumours were true: the tacos on the East Coast are . . . not great. Yes, there are hole-in-the-wall taquerias in Sunset Park that are fine, spots on Second Avenue that make pretty good carnitas, but there is a serious lack of solid, convenient, cheap, way-above-average tacos in New York, and nobody from either coast would dispute that. To combat my cravings and feelings of homesickness, I started hosting my own taco nights. I’d be lying if I said they were as wonderful as my favourite LA trucks (nothing ever comes close), but they definitely hit the spot. This is the kind of low-maintenance dinner you can pull out on a Sunday (really!), when the four people who were supposed to come over turn into fourteen people. Just make sure those ten extra people bring you additional limes and avocados, because you’ll need them when you run out.
Ingredients
| 1 | pineapple, skin and core removed, halved lengthways |
| 8 | guajillo or New Mexican chillies |
| 2 tbsp | kosher salt, plus more as needed |
| 6 | chillies de árbol, seeds removed, or 1 tbsp crushed chilli flakes |
| 8 | garlic cloves, chopped |
| 1 | large white onion, finely chopped |
| 80ml (2½fl oz/⅓ cup) | apple cider vinegar or white vinegar |
| 1 tbsp | ground cumin |
| 1 tbsp | ground coriander |
| 1 × 1.35–1.8kg (3–4lb) | boneless pork shoulder, sliced into 2.5cm (1in) thick steaks |
| freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 50g (1¾oz/1 cup) | finely chopped coriander (cilantro) |
| 4 | limes, cut into wedges |
| The fixings | |
|---|---|
| 30 | small corn tortillas, warmed |
| 6 | radishes, thinly sliced |
| 2 | tomatillos, finely chopped |
| 250g (9oz/1 cup) | cotija, queso fresco or other firm fresh cheese, crumbled |
| hot sauce, such as Cholula, Valentina or Tapatío | |
| sour cream |
Method
Chop half the pineapple into 2.5cm (1in) cubes and thinly slice the other half into bite-sized pieces.
Toast the guajillo chillies, which you can do in one of three ways: over a live gas flame (using tongs, hold them over a high flame, almost like you’re toasting a marshmallow), in a cast-iron skillet over medium–high heat (toast, shaking the pan frequently for about 5 minutes), or in a preheated 190°C (375°F) oven on a baking tray (just let them do their thing for 8–10 minutes). You want the chillies to be puffed and lightly charred, not burned, and any of these methods will get you there with equal results.
Once the guajillo chillies are delightfully toasted, use kitchen scissors to remove the stem and cut them into rings. I like the extra heat, so I keep in the seeds, as these chillies aren’t that spicy to begin with – but you can discard all or half the seeds if you prefer.
In a saucepan, bring 500 ml (17fl oz/2 cups) salted water to a simmer and add the guajillo chillies and chillies de árbol (do not add chilli flakes yet, if using). Remove the pan from the heat and let sit 15 minutes; the chillies should be soft enough that they basically fall apart when rubbed between your fingers.
Using a slotted spoon (reserve the chilli soaking water), transfer the chillies to a blender. Add the garlic, half the onion, the vinegar, the 2 tablespoons salt, the cumin, coriander, cubed pineapple and chilli flakes (if using). Add about 125ml (4fl oz/½ cup) of the reserved chilli water and purée until you have a smooth paste, adding more water as needed to help the blender do its job.
Season the pork with salt and pepper and rub the pineapple–chilli purée all over each piece of meat. Place it all in a ziplock bag or a bowl and cover. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to go, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, sear each piece of meat until it is golden brown and bits of the marinade have begun to caramelise, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining oil and pork.
Once the meat is cool enough to handle, slice, chop or dice it into smaller, taco-sized pieces. Return these smaller pieces to the skillet and cook over medium–high heat, tossing to coat in all the deeply caramelised bits on the bottom of the pan, letting them crisp up a bit for the second time – this is where that LA taco truck magic happens.
Meanwhile, combine the thinly sliced pineapple and remaining onion in a small bowl. Add a bit of the chopped coriander and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime; set aside.
Serve the meat with warm tortillas (even better if you drag them through the fat in the skillet first), the pineapple salsa, remaining coriander, sliced radish, tomatillo, cheese, hot sauce and sour cream – and lots of cold, cheap beer.
Do ahead: The marinade can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Pork can be marinated 1 day ahead.
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