Name: Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 295 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 700 g pork shoulder (neck), cut into slices about 8 mm thick; 20 g achiote paste (about 1 heaped tbsp); 2 tsp guajillo chilli powder; 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 60 ml white vinegar; 80 ml pineapple juice; 2 tbsp neutral oil (for frying); 4 slices fresh pineapple, about 1 cm thick (canned rings work too); 12 small corn tortillas; 1 white onion, finely chopped; 20 g coriander, finely chopped (about ½ bunch); 1 avocado, diced; 2 limes, cut into wedges; hot salsa (to taste)

Preparation

Blend the achiote paste, chilli powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar and pineapple juice in a blender to a smooth red marinade.
Put the meat slices and the marinade in a bowl or freezer bag, coat all over and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Finely chop the onion and coriander and mix. Take the meat out of the marinade and wipe off the excess.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle pan over a medium-high to high heat with a little oil. Fry the pineapple slices for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until warm and lightly charred at the edges, then remove.
Fry the meat in batches in a single layer for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until browned, lightly charred and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the meat will steam.
Chop the meat into small pieces, cut the pineapple into roughly 1 cm cubes and mix the two together.
Warm the tortillas in a dry, hot frying pan for about 10 seconds per side. Fill with the meat and pineapple mixture, onion and coriander, avocado and salsa, and serve with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Mexican lager, ice cold
Carbonation and a light bitterness refresh after the pork fat and roasted flavours without overpowering the achiote marinade.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged tequila · excellent match
Reposado over ice with a twist of lime zest
For tequila connoisseurs, al pastor is a core pairing: the barrel and caramel notes of the reposado mirror the charred pineapple and the achiote pork; the ice tempers the alcohol alongside the chilli.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Mezcal · excellent match
Mezcal Espadín, neat in a copita with an orange slice, or over a large ice cube
The mezcalero's classic: the smoke of agave roasted in an earth oven meets the roasted flavours from the spit and the guajillo-achiote marinade, while the agave fruit picks up the grilled pineapple.
Tequila and Mezcal: What's the Difference?
White wine · good match
Riesling Kabinett off-dry
Residual sweetness and acidity pick up the caramelised pineapple and keep the chilli in check.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
IPA · good match
Fruity session IPA, not too bitter
Tropical hop fruit connects with the pineapple, and the bitterness cuts the fat.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces

Preparation

Blend the achiote paste, chilli powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar and pineapple juice in a blender to a smooth red marinade.
Put the meat slices and the marinade in a bowl or freezer bag, coat all over and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Finely chop the onion and coriander and mix. Take the meat out of the marinade and wipe off the excess.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle pan over a medium-high to high heat with a little oil. Fry the pineapple slices for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until warm and lightly charred at the edges, then remove.
Fry the meat in batches in a single layer for 2 to 4 minutes per side, until browned, lightly charred and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, or the meat will steam.
Chop the meat into small pieces, cut the pineapple into roughly 1 cm cubes and mix the two together.
Warm the tortillas in a dry, hot frying pan for about 10 seconds per side. Fill with the meat and pineapple mixture, onion and coriander, avocado and salsa, and serve with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Mexican lager, ice cold
Carbonation and a light bitterness refresh after the pork fat and roasted flavours without overpowering the achiote marinade.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged tequila · excellent match
Reposado over ice with a twist of lime zest
For tequila connoisseurs, al pastor is a core pairing: the barrel and caramel notes of the reposado mirror the charred pineapple and the achiote pork; the ice tempers the alcohol alongside the chilli.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Mezcal · excellent match
Mezcal Espadín, neat in a copita with an orange slice, or over a large ice cube
The mezcalero's classic: the smoke of agave roasted in an earth oven meets the roasted flavours from the spit and the guajillo-achiote marinade, while the agave fruit picks up the grilled pineapple.
Tequila and Mezcal: What's the Difference?
White wine · good match
Riesling Kabinett off-dry
Residual sweetness and acidity pick up the caramelised pineapple and keep the chilli in check.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
IPA · good match
Fruity session IPA, not too bitter
Tropical hop fruit connects with the pineapple, and the bitterness cuts the fat.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces

Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple

Preparation

Drink with it

Mexican lager, ice cold

Reposado over ice with a twist of lime zest

Mezcal Espadín, neat in a copita with an orange slice, or over a large ice cube

Riesling Kabinett off-dry

Fruity session IPA, not too bitter

This pairs well too.

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)

Chicken Enchiladas

Birria Tacos with Dipping Broth

Carne Asada (Grilled Beef Steak with Lime)

Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple

Preparation

Drink with it

Mexican lager, ice cold

Reposado over ice with a twist of lime zest

Mezcal Espadín, neat in a copita with an orange slice, or over a large ice cube

Riesling Kabinett off-dry

Fruity session IPA, not too bitter

This pairs well too.

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)

Chicken Enchiladas

Birria Tacos with Dipping Broth

Carne Asada (Grilled Beef Steak with Lime)