Quick Al-Pastor Tacos with Green Pepper and Tomatillo Salsa

August 14, 2019

Quick Al-Pastor Tacos with Green Pepper and Tomatillo Salsa

Dish by Chef Megan Watson.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions @mwatsonnyc or mwatsonnyc@gmail.com

This dish packs lots of flavor and comes together super quickly.

Yield:Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes plus overnight marinating.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 lb of boneless pork butt, cut into 1½" cubes
• 2 cups pineapple, cut into 1” cubes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
• 1 14oz can chipotles in adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large green pepper
• 1 lb tomatillos, husked and cut into medium sized chunks
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and deveined, cut into chunks
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp cumin
• juice of ½ lime
• 1 ½ cups cilantro leaves with baby stems
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tsp salt (you might need to add more)
• Corn tortillas
• Lime wedges for serving

 

Instructions:

 

1. Marinate the pork: Take pork butt and trim any skin and/or big chunks of fat off. Then cut into 1½” cubes. Place in a bowl. Then add the cubed pineapple and any of the juice that fell onto the cutting board to the bowl. Followed by the thinly sliced onions. Next, open the can of chipotles. I would use a glove squeeze all the sauce out of the chipotles and the can. You do not want the seeds or the actual flesh. So do it slowly.  Add all of the sauce in the can and liquid that comes out of peppers to the pork and veg. Then using your hands massage the sauce into the pork and veg. Once done cover and leave it overnight.
2. Cook the pork: Take a large cast iron and get it ripping hot with vegetable oil. Drain any liquid from the marinade. Just use the back of a spoon to let the extra liquid pour off. Once the pan is hot dump the pork mixture in. Continue to stir and add salt to taste. You want the liquid to evaporate as it cooks and for the meat and pineapple to get a bit of char/caramelization on it. This should cook in about ten minutes but test to make sure it is not raw by cutting a piece open.
3. Making the salsa: This can be done ahead of time, before or during. First, on an open high flame on your burner or from a grill char the green pepper. You want the flesh to turn black. Once one side is black turn it till all sides and the bottom are all black. Then place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You are going to let the pepper sweat inside. After 3 minutes you can take it out run it under cold water and peel the skin off. Discard the skin, stem and seeds of the pepper. 
   In a blender or food processor, add tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic until everything is completely broken down and you have a sauce. Then, add the cilantro and blend/puree until that is fully broken down and incorporated. Finally, add cumin, avocado, lime juice, salt, and the roasted green pepper and blend away till you have a smooth sauce. The avocado helps this come together and it will be a tiny bit chunky. Season with salt if needed.
4. Assembly: Heat your tortillas either over an open flame, grill, pan or microwave. Never eat them cold. Add the pork and top with the salsa. Garnish with a lime wedge.
   Enjoy!

 

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