Carne Al Pastor


(from the LA Times)
Total time: 3 hours, 10 minutes, plus 8 hours marinating
Servings: 8

Note: At Taqueria Vista Hermosa in Los Angeles, the marinated pork is
sliced, then packed onto a commercial rotisserie for long cooking. We
adapted this recipe from Rael Morales for the oven, resulting in shredded,
rather than sliced, meat. The dried chiles and the achiote paste are
available in well-stocked supermarkets and at Latino markets.

3 California chiles
1 ancho chile
1 guajillo chile
1 cascabel chile
1 chile de Arbol
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon achiote condimentada (seasoned achiote paste)
1 onion, sliced thin, divided
5 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 8 chunks
1/2 pineapple, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick,and cut into quarters

Combine 5 cups of water, the California, ancho, guajillo and cascabel
chiles, the chile de Arbol and the bay leaf in a large pot and bring to a
boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until softened,
about 5 minutes. Drain the chiles, discard the bay leaf and remove and
discard the stems and seeds of the chiles.

Place the softened chiles in a food processor with the orange and
pineapple juices, vinegar, cinnamon, sea salt, garlic, salt, pepper,
garlic salt, oregano, achiote paste and half the onion. Puree until
smooth. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag, add the
meat and toss to coat. Refrigerate 24 hours. Heat the oven to 350
degrees. Place half the pineapple in an even layer in the bottom of a
roasting pan. Place the pork on top, followed by the remaining pineapple
and the remaining sliced onion. Cover with foil and roast until meat
breaks apart with a fork, about 2 to 2 1/2hours. Remove the meat from the
pan, discard the pineapple and set aside the pan juices.

Put the meat on a rack in a baking pan, baste it with the pan juices and
place under the broiler to crisp the edges of the meat, about 3 minutes.
Turn and cook for a few more minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and
let stand until cool enough to handle, then, with a fork, shred and pull
it apart and place on a serving platter. Spoon pan juices over to moisten.
Serve with corn tortillas and condiments, allowing everyone to make their
own tacos.

Each serving: 591 calories; 1,195 mg. sodium; 174 mg. cholesterol; 42
grams
fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 46 grams protein; 1
gram fiber.



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