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I guess you can say he had me at Pastor.
Shortly after meeting my husband’s (then boyfriend), he embarked on an international studies program where he spent a semester in Monterrey. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I spent many three-day weekends visiting him and the robust part of Mexico that didn’t include palm trees or all-inclusive hotels. Part of our explorations still resulted in daily trips to the same taqueria next to his flat for tacos al pastor. Sliced thinly onto the handmade double stacked corn tortillas, carved straight from a trompo on the side of the road after a hot day, dressed with cilantro, onion and the right squirt of lime and a Coca-Cola – every bite was like nothing I had ever had before. The recipe thought seemed too simple to be as good as it was…I just knew I could probably make the same thing at home.
Oh, silly girl!
Still yearning for that perfect pastor taco, we visited again and again trying to get it right. Then when we planned to get married it’s that taco that brought us back to Mexico for the ceremony and honeymoon. And a year later almost to the day, that taco is what brought a newly pregnant mama to Mexico to satisfy that same craving.
What can I say – “I love pastor.”
Now living in Texas, I get a chance to eat a lot of good tacos (a lot), even al pastor. But I’ve still yet to find that same recipe, the point of perfect satisfaction – magnífico – than sinking my teeth into a juicy bite of al pastor taco, especially when you get a little little grease runs down your lips.
So ever since I’ve been in pursuit to find anywhere that could deliver the same taste of those pastor tacos. While we’ve visited many great restaurants, none have quite been the same. So we began trying to create our own pastor, although many of our recipes still paFled in comparison – especially without the use of a trompo to make it the real deal.
Although we haven’t yet made the purchase to have a vertical grill at home to make authentic pastor, we have tried a lot of recipes. This one actually uses a lot of things from the cabinet and other than a few days of just letting your mouth water while it marinates, you’ve got a great recipe that anyone can make without a trip to Mexico or buying a new appliance using Coca-Cola and La Morena peppers at La Michoacana.
While I still haven’t replicated that recipe for al Pastor tacos, I did create my own Chipotle Pastor Tacos made with Coca-Cola that bring all my favorite memories of pastor tacos together. By using La Morena you get an authentic Latino flavor for a really authentic taste. And since, I don’t have a trompo, I was inspired by SeriousEats.com to use a stacked method to give them a similar cooking process. And then there was the twist of chipotle that give it that smoky heat paired with the sweetness of Coca-Cola for a new pastor taco that can made at home either in the stove or over the grill.
Just plan for a few days to get the meat just right. Great cities weren’t built in a day and neither will this taco. But you won’t mind a few days of work once you take your first, second or third bite. And neither will your guests. Just be ready for seconds and thirds…
As the hectic holiday season approaches, making quick and easy meals everyone loves gets a little harder, but with the authentic taste of LA MORENA chiles, beans and salsas and ice-cold Coca-Cola (especially the ones that are “Made in Mexico”) for a memorable Mexican fiesta anytime of the year…Especially during the holidays for a traditional Mexican meal you can now make at home!
Chipotle al Pastor Tacos
- Prep Time: 72
- Cook Time: 120
- Total Time: 7200
Ingredients
- ½ can of La Morena Chipotle Peppers
- 3 pasilla/guajilla chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 1 ancho chile, seeds and stem removed
- ¼ cup orange juice, fresh preferred
- ½ tablespoon lime juice, fresh preferred
- 4 oz. Coca-Cola
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon clove
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 ½ –3 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into steaks
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 onion
- 1 fresh cut pineapple, sliced in rings, grilled
- salt and pepper
- 12–18 corn tortillas
- 1–2 bunches cilantro, chopped
- 2–3 radish, sliced
- 2 onion, chopped
Instructions
- Combine chiles, juices, spices and vinegar together in the blender.
- Place marinade into saucepan and cook on medium until well combined (about 5 minutes.) Once cooled, add to reusable plastic bag. Add pork to bag. Seal and refrigerate overnight. (12-18 hours.)
- Next remove steaks from marinade and add them to a loaf pan by alternating steak, a layer of bacon, steak, etc. until all the meat is complete.
- Now cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or two days. (12-36 hours.)
- Remove plastic wrap and cook meat in loaf pan on baking sheet in a preheated oven at 275 degrees for 4 hours. After cooling slightly, refrigerate 4-6 hours.
- Either in a skillet or on a grill, remove pork from loaf pan (discard bacon.) Brush pork with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until crispy. At the same time, grill pineapple with pork until brown grill marks.
- Remove meat and fruit from grill. Cut into strips and serve with warm tortillas, pineapple, onion, radishes and cilantro.
Notes
- Don’t rush this recipe. Plan to cook indoors and outdoors for best results, but if you have to, you can cook the entire recipe indoors (oven and over skilled) and outdoors (grill low and slow.) Serve with elotes, grilled onions and potatoes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 535
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 282
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 15
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 150
We love La Morena, I use their peppers whenever I want to dabble in authentic Mexican cuisine. This recipe sounds especially delicious! We’ll have to pick some of those chipotle peppers up!
I love tacos. This one looks delicious. I love the addition of pineapple. I’m sure it added a lot of flavor and sweetness.
Those are definitely bot like any tacos I’ve ever had before – they sound awesome.
Those look delicious! I love cooking anything with Coke. It makes the meat so tender, and it gives it a great flavor.
This looks amazing! I have never cooked with Coke before, but this is something I would love to try.
That looks SO good! I have never heard of “pastor” as a food item. I must try this and see why there is such an obsession for it!
I lvoe the iea of using the different citrus flavor in this dish. I bet it is just bursting with flavor!
Now this sounds like a nice dinner. i love me some homemade tacos
Mexican food is my fave! I have to visit Chipotle some day.
Those tacos look amazing! I love tacos!
These look absolutely delicious. Tacos are a big hit in my home. I will have to give this recipe a try.
I LOVE using Coca Cola in my recipes. This looks amazing, and I am pretty sure I would eat a ton of these in one sitting!
I love cooking meat in coke! It makes meat so tender. These tacos looks so delicious!
These look delicious! You always have the best recipes, but this is definitely a stand-out recipe.
Wow, those look amazing! And, of course, everything is better with a Coke!
Your recipe looks beyond amazingly delish. How interesting that Coke is one of the ingredients, I love Mexican food and am going to have to try this.
I have heard that coke does an amazing job softening meat… so I am sure this is delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe. I will surely be trying it.
I love that little extra sweetness in tacos! What a great dish!
These look like they are from a restaurant. AMAZING.
That must have been one delicious taco!!
These tacos look so delicious and I know my entire family would love them for taco night.
We have a Mexican night at least once a week and this will be a perfect addition to our menu! They look delicious and they are totally new to me!
Now these look like my kind of tacos. I would eat these right up! Love cilantro
Wow, this looks way too good! My family will be truly happy campers if I can replicate this.
These tacos look amazing. My daughter and I are huge fans of Mexican foods.
These look fantastic. Definitely in the need to make pile of recipes.
This sounds like an interesting recipe and I’m looking forward to trying. Your tacos look delish!
Wow, I never thought of adding coke like this – I want to try it because we love tacos and this sounds like a fun variation.
Wow, my mouth is watering just looking at your pictures. Will have to try adding coke to my marinades.
We love tacos! My family always looks forward to taco night!
Pretty sure everyone in the house would love me if I whipped those up for dinner. The pictures look amazing too.
Everything goes great with Coca Cola! These taco’s look amazing, love Mexican food!
These tacos look delicious! They are actually one of my favorite foods and they are so easy to make
These look downright delicious!!! Great recipe – cant wait to try!
These look absolutely incredible. I love tacos and this is very different from any kind I make.
After reading your post, I am craving some tacos! I loved reading the story about your history with tacos.
So, the only tacos I have ever had come out of a box….time to kick it up a notch and give this recipe a whirl!