Tacos al Pastor Spit Grilled

Rehydrate the guajillo and ancho chiles by soaking them in hot water for 20 minutes until they are softened. Once rehydrated, drain the chiles and carefully remove their stems and seeds.

In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, achiote paste, peeled garlic cloves, roughly chopped white onion, pineapple juice, white vinegar, orange juice, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, and coarse salt. Blend all ingredients until you achieve a completely smooth marinade.

Thinly slice the boneless pork shoulder against the grain into uniform 1/4-inch thick pieces. In a large bowl or a resealable bag, combine the sliced pork with the prepared al pastor marinade. Ensure every piece of pork is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate the marinated pork for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally, overnight, to allow the flavors to fully develop.

If you are using a vertical rotisserie, place half of the peeled large white onion at the base of the spit. Begin threading the marinated pork slices onto the spit, stacking them tightly to form a compact cone or cylindrical shape. Once all the pork is stacked, top it with a thick slice of fresh pineapple and the remaining half of the onion.

Preheat your vertical rotisserie or grill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Cook the pork on the spit, allowing it to rotate slowly, for approximately 30-45 minutes. The goal is for the exterior to become deeply caramelized and the internal temperature to reach 145F (63C). Periodically, use a sharp knife to slice off the outer cooked layers of pork, allowing the new layers underneath to cook and caramelize. You can also baste the pork with any leftover marinade during cooking.

While the pork is cooking, warm your small corn tortillas on a comal or a dry skillet until they are soft and pliable. Once the al pastor pork is sliced from the spit, chop it into small, bite-sized pieces. Serve the delicious al pastor meat in the warm tortillas, garnished with finely diced fresh pineapple, chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, and a generous squeeze of lime juice.