Carnitas and Al Pastor Tacos

Name: Carnitas and Al Pastor Tacos
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 225 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexicana
Ingredients: 1 kg pork maciza (for the carnitas); 1 kg pork loin (thinly sliced for the al pastor); 1 taza achiote marinade (with orange juice and spices); 500 g pork lard (to confit the carnitas); 1 kg corn tortillas (small taco size); 0.5 pieza pineapple (in slices or cubes); 1 pieza white onion (finely chopped); 1 manojo cilantro (washed and chopped); 6 pieza cambray onions (grilled); 1 taza green salsa (tomatillo and serrano chili); 1 taza red salsa (chile de árbol); 1 al gusto limes and radishes (for serving)

Michoacán carnitas and Mexico City al pastor on one plate: two taco traditions. Learn why achiote and slow confit make all the difference.

225 min Medium Mexicana 8 servings

The story behind

Picture two taquerías on a single plate: Michoacán's carnitas alongside Mexico City's al pastor, two of the country's great taco traditions meeting on one table. Carnitas are essentially pork confit: the lean cut simmers slowly in its own fat until tender inside and crisp-edged outside, a method rooted in Michoacán and perfected in vast copper pots. Al pastor, by contrast, descends from early-twentieth-century Lebanese immigration, which brought lamb shawarma on a vertical spit; Mexican cooks reinvented it with pork marinated in achiote, chiles, and spices, roasted on a trompo and served with pineapple. Achiote does more than lend its deep red color; it brings an earthy, faintly tangy flavor, and marinating the thin slices for hours lets the spices penetrate while the surface caramelizes against the heat. Both tacos arrive on small corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and salsa, and both star at celebrations and gatherings. The smoke and the sizzle of rendering fat are part of the ritual.

Ingredients

1 kg pork maciza (for the carnitas)
1 kg pork loin (thinly sliced for the al pastor)
1 taza achiote marinade (with orange juice and spices)
500 g pork lard (to confit the carnitas)
1 kg corn tortillas (small taco size)
0.5 pieza pineapple (in slices or cubes)
1 pieza white onion (finely chopped)
1 manojo cilantro (washed and chopped)
6 pieza cambray onions (grilled)
1 taza green salsa (tomatillo and serrano chili)
1 taza red salsa (chile de árbol)
1 al gusto limes and radishes (for serving)

Instructions

1

For the Al Pastor: Marinate the pork slices in the achiote marinade for at least 4 hours.
2

For the Carnitas: In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the lard and cook the pork maciza over very low heat with salt and a hint of orange until tender and golden brown.
3

Grill the pineapple slices and cambray onions on a griddle until charred grill marks appear.
4

Cook the al pastor meat on a hot griddle or large skillet until slightly charred on the edges.
5

Finely chop both the carnitas and the al pastor meat.
6

Warm the corn tortillas on the griddle.
7

Assemble the tacos by placing a generous portion of meat on each double tortilla.
8

For the al pastor tacos, add a piece of roasted pineapple.
9

Top all tacos with chopped white onion and fresh cilantro.
10

Serve accompanied by the grilled cambray onions, limes, radishes, and red and green salsas to taste.

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Carnitas and Al Pastor Tacos

The story behind

Instructions

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