Tacos Al Pastor | A Cinco De Mayo Recipe

1. Up to 12 hours ahead of time, prepare the marinade. Place the dried ancho and guajillo (wah-hee-Loh) chilies into the boiling water until they’re softened and a little rehydrated. Remove the tops and the seeds (optional, to reduce spice). Add the rehydrated chilies, vinegar, apple juice, lime juice, achiote paste, garlic, brown sugar, cinnamon and cumin to a blender. Blitz until smooth. 
2. Slice the pork into thin slices. In a non-reactive bowl or dish, pour the marinade over the pork, ensuring everything is well coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge from 2 to 12 hours, but not longer, as the enzymes in the pineapple juice can break down the meat and create an undesirable texture.
   Learn more about Marinades here
3. When you are ready to cook, preheat the rear burner of the barbecue, allowing the grill to warm to between 375°F and 425°F. If you do not have a rear burner, set the main burners to medium-low, heating the grill to around 375°F.
4. Remove the meat from the fridge. Cut the ends off a pineapple and cut some thick chunks in a similar size and shape as the pork. Thread the first set of forks onto a spit-rod, secure them and thread some pineapple, followed by all of the marinated pork and finally the remaining pineapple and second fork, to secure everything. 
5. Fit the spit rod onto the barbecue and turn on the rotisserie motor. Cook the meat for 1½ to 2 hours until the outside has some lovely char. Remove the meat and pineapple on the spit to a board and rest for 10 minutes before carving.  
6. Slice the meat and pineapple off the spit and serve in warmed corn tortillas with your favorite toppings like onion, cilantro, crema and/or cheese. 

This recipe for Tacos Al Pastor is delicious and amazing. When I mentioned it to a friend, she got so excited. It’s one of her favorites and they have their own secret recipe for making it. Tacos Al Pastor is different for almost every household that makes it, but one thing is for sure, this unique recipe is absolutely delicious, slightly spicy, and definitely, a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or make Taco Tuesday the best day of the week. Share your favorite Cinco BBQ recipes and photos on our social pages like Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.

Happy Grilling!