The Overnight Wait Is Worth It For These Tacos Al Pastor

Tender pork shoulder marinated in a tangy pineapple sauce is the star of Laurent Dagenais’ ode to Al Pastor. A traditional dish made fit for home cooks, the spin on Mexican fare, from TikTok food creator and chef Dagenais’ debut cookbook, Always Hungry!, comes together mere minutes after the meat rests overnight. All it takes is a little grilling.

Dagenais layers the succulent pork atop warm corn tortillas (extra points for homemade), with radishes, red onion and his Grilled Pineapple Salsa Verde, a sweet and spicy blend of pineapple, assorted peppers, avocado and tomatillos. Never again will your Al Pastor suffer from jarred attempts at salsa greatness. Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime cut through the rich protein and highlight each component of this taco fiesta. 

Tacos Al Pastor

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 45 minutesCook time: 10 minutesTotal time: 55 minutesServings:8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork shoulder butt roast
• Corn tortillas
• Grilled Pineapple Salsa Verde – store-bought or the recipe on page 37 Dagenais’ Cookbook
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Diced pineapple – optional
• Diced red onion
• A few fresh cilantro sprigs
• Lime wedges
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves
• 1 seeded and coarsely chopped habanero pepper
• 1 coarsely chopped onion
• 1 dried chile de arbol
• 1/4 peeled and coarsely-chopped pineapple
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
• 1/4 cup al pastor seasoning mix
• Juice from 4 or 5 limes
• Salt

Instructions

1. For the tacos: Place pork in the freezer for 20 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut pork into 1/2-inch (1 cm)-thick slices. Set aside in a bowl.

2. For the pork marinade: In a blender or food processor, mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour over pork slices and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat barbecue to high. Place pork on the grill and grill for 3 minutes on each side, or until you see some nice grill marks. Transfer pork to a cutting board and finely slice, al pastor–style.

4. Serve in warm tortillas. Garnish with salsa verde, radishes, pineapple (if using), red onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

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