Tacos al Pastor

Adobo

• dried guajillo chillies6
• dried ancho chillies2
• achiote paste40 g
• white onion½
• garlic4 clove
• pineapple juice120 ml
• white vinegar60 ml
• dried oregano1 tsp
• ground cumin1 tsp
• ground cloves¼ tsp
• black pepper½ tsp
• sugar1 tsp
• salt2 tsp

Pork

• pork shoulder1 kg
• fresh pineapple300 g
• vegetable oil2 tbsp

To serve

• corn tortillas12
• white onion1
• fresh coriander1 handful
• limes2
• salsa verde (optional)

Adobo

1. 01

   Toast the stemmed, deseeded guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry frying pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds a side, pressing them flat, until they smell sweet and smoky. Do not let them darken or the adobo turns bitter. Put them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 20 minutes until soft.

2. 02

   Drain the guajillo and ancho chillies and blend them with the achiote paste, onion, garlic, pineapple juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, cloves, black pepper, sugar and salt until completely smooth. It should be the thickness of double cream; loosen it with a spoonful of the soaking water if it is stiffer than that.

3. 03

   Cut the pork shoulder into slices about 5 mm thick. Turn the pork slices in the adobo until every piece is coated, spreading them out rather than leaving them in a lump. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and ideally overnight.

Pork

4. 04

   Heat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan. Line a loaf tin with foil and build the marinated slices back into a tight stack inside it, pressing each layer down hard so there are no gaps. Peel and core the pineapple, cut it into 1 cm slices and lay one on top. A vertical stack on a metal skewer set over a roasting tin works just as well if you have one.

5. 05

   Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top and sides are deeply browned and the middle of the stack reaches 75°C on a probe thermometer, or the juices run clear with no pink when a skewer is pushed in. Leave the stack to rest for 10 minutes so it holds together when cut.

6. 06

   Stand the stack on a board and shave thin slices from the outside, working down through the caramelised edges the way it is carved from a spit. Chop the shavings roughly.

To serve

7. 07

   Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat. Fry the shaved pork in batches for 1 to 2 minutes, spread out and barely stirred, until the edges caramelise and crisp. Crowding the pan steams the meat, so give each batch room.

8. 08

   Char the remaining pineapple slices in the same pan for 1 minute a side, then chop them small. Warm the tortillas, pile on the pork and top with pineapple, finely chopped onion, chopped coriander, a squeeze of lime and salsa verde if you like.