My first taste of Al Pastor was in college. The local restaurant cooked it on the griddle. It was a reddish flavorful meat. Not really spicy hot and faintly sweet. The griddle gave the meat a little crispiness.
Finding a recipe online was difficult. Also, reading online, traditional Al Pastor is roasted on a vertical broiler like a gyro - traditional Al Pastor.
After working my recipe, I looked up Rick Bayless. Rick Bayless is an American Chef who specialized in Mexican cuisine. I became aware of him through his PBS cooking show. Rick Bayless Al Pastor
The Fixins'
2 Guajillo chiles
2 Ancho Pasilla chiles
Soaked in hot water until soft.
Dried Chile Info
Garlic
1/2 Onion
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 to 1 t Dried Basil
1/2 to 1 t Dried Mexican Oregano
Achiote - red annato. I think it's mainly used for color
I didn't have pineapple juice or pineapples. I remember reading that tamarind was used. This is the closest I could find for tamarind. Tamarind is a sour fruit that's often used for flavoring. Tasting this juice. It's not really sweet or that sour. I'll give it a shot.
The easy part was throwing every thing into the blender. The chiles were seeded and stemmed. The mixture was poured onto thinly sliced country style ribs. Hmm... I should add more pork, but I didn't.
I let the pork marinade for about an hour. Afterwards, I cooked a small portion in a hot skillet.
The Final Plate
I had a cheese bagel so I made a Sorta Torta. Tortas are Mexican sandwiches made on a roll.
I kept it simple... Well, I didn't have any avocado, lettuce or tomatoes. It was still good.
Overall, the flavor was good, the chiles were not hot, but added flavor. However, it did lack the sweetness I remember. Maybe some pineapple next time around... Also, more garlic.
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