Blackstone Tacos al Pastor

Al pastor is usually cooked on a trompo, a vertical spit where stacked pork turns in front of a flame and gets shaved off as the outside chars. Almost nobody has one at home. The flat top gets you most of the way there by working backward: slice the pork thin before it cooks, so every piece has surface area touching hot steel. You get charred edges on all of it instead of just the outer layer of a spit.

The marinade is dried guajillo and ancho chiles, achiote paste for the red color and earthy flavor, pineapple juice, and vinegar. Fresh pineapple goes on the griddle next to the meat and gets chopped into the tacos at the end.

If you want beef instead, carne asada uses the same hot sear and chop, with a citrus marinade on skirt steak.

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Ingredients

Marinade:

• 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 tbsp achiote paste
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Pork:

• 2 lb boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 tbsp avocado oil

To serve:

• 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch rings
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• Salsa verde (optional)

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Instructions

Step 1: Toast and soak the chiles Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan or on the griddle over medium heat for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Pull them before they scorch, burnt chiles turn the whole marinade bitter. Cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes until soft.

Step 2: Blend the marinade Drain the chiles and add them to a blender with the achiote paste, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.

Step 3: Marinate the pork Slicing is easier if the shoulder is well chilled and firm. Cut it into 1/4 inch slices, trimming off any thick pieces of hard fat. Toss the slices in the marinade so every piece is coated, cover, and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Don’t go past 6 hours, the vinegar starts to break down the texture of the meat.

Step 4: Preheat with two zones Set one side of the Blackstone to high (425-450°F) for the pork and the other to medium-high (375-400°F) for the pineapple.

Step 5: Char the pineapple Pat the pineapple rings dry and lay them on the medium-high zone. Leave them alone 3-4 minutes until they have dark grill marks, flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Move them to a cooler edge.

Step 6: Sear the pork Pull the slices out of the marinade and pat them dry, wet pork steams instead of searing. Add the oil to the hot zone and lay the slices down in a single layer, working in batches if you need to. Don’t move them until the undersides are charred, then flip once. Pull the pork when the thickest slice reads 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Step 7: Chop Rest the pork 3 minutes, then chop it into small pieces right on the griddle with the edge of your spatula. Chop the pineapple the same way and toss it through the pork.

Step 8: Warm the tortillas and build Warm the tortillas on the medium zone 30-45 seconds per side until pliable. Double them up if they’re thin. Fill each with pork and pineapple, then top with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

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Tips

Use canned pineapple juice in the marinade, not fresh. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, and a few hours in fresh juice turns pork mushy. Canned juice is heat treated, which deactivates the enzyme. Fresh pineapple is fine on the griddle and in the tacos, since cooking takes care of it there.

Slice thin and cook in a single layer. Crowded slices trap steam and never char. If the griddle is full, cook in two batches and keep the first batch on the cooler zone.

Shoulder over loin. Pork shoulder has enough fat to stay juicy at 145°F and to crisp at the edges. Loin is lean enough that thin slices dry out before they char.

Achiote paste lives in the Mexican aisle. It usually comes in a small brick or jar. It gives al pastor its red color and a mild, earthy flavor. If you can’t find it, the tacos still work with the chiles alone, they just come out a darker brown instead of red.

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What to Serve With It

Blackstone elotes cook on the same griddle and fit the plate. For a bigger spread, the Mexican recipes round-up has quesadillas, fajitas, and birria that all run on the same setup.

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Storage

Refrigerate leftover pork (without tortillas) in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat on the griddle over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, which also brings back some of the crisp edges. Leftovers work in quesadillas, burritos, and rice bowls.

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More flat-top recipes: Blackstone Mexican Recipes · Blackstone Pork Recipes · Carne Asada · Grilled Pineapple

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make al pastor without a trompo?

Yes. A trompo chars the outside of a stack of pork and shaves it off in thin layers. On a griddle you slice the pork thin before cooking instead, so every piece gets direct contact with the steel and chars on its own. You lose the look of the spit, but you still get crisp, charred edges on marinated pork.

What cut of pork is best for al pastor?

Boneless pork shoulder, also sold as Boston butt. It has enough fat to stay juicy when sliced thin and seared hot. Pork loin is too lean and dries out before it chars.

How long should al pastor marinate?

2-4 hours in the refrigerator. The vinegar in the marinade starts to break down the texture of the meat past about 6 hours, so this isn’t one to leave overnight.

What temperature should pork be cooked to for tacos?

145°F internal, the USDA safe minimum for whole cuts of pork, followed by a short rest. Check the thickest slice with an instant-read thermometer.

What’s the difference between al pastor and carne asada?

Al pastor is pork in a chile, achiote, and pineapple marinade, traditionally cooked on a vertical spit. Carne asada is beef, usually skirt or flank steak, in a citrus and garlic marinade, cooked over high direct heat. Both get chopped and served on corn tortillas with onion and cilantro.