Slow Cooker Tacos al Pastor

[D J C]

 

Tacos al pastor is hands down my favorite taco. I was first introduced to it at our neighborhood taco joint when we lived in Chicago, and I quickly fell in love. Tacos al pastor contain slowly roasted and super-flavorful pork paired with juicy, sweet pineapple. To re-create this taco for a delicious, healthy weeknight dinner, I use a pork shoulder roast and trim most of the fat to make it much leaner. It’s still scrumptious and juicy, thanks to a delicious marinade and a slow cooker. Roasting the onions and pineapple is the secret to bringing out their natural sweetness and imparting a smoky flavor to the marinade. The marinade also includes bold flavors like adobo, cumin, garlic and bright notes of citrus. This taco is just as good, if not better, than the one I fell in love with in Chicago!–Danielle Davis

HOW MUCH PORK BUTT CAN I COOK?

If you feel the need to double this recipe (and look, we don’t blame you), remember that size matters. Although exactly how it matters depends on your personal preference. We prefer to roast a couple modestly sized 3- or 4-pound pork butts side by side in the same roasting pan rather than a single 8-pound pork butt, only because they seem to remain moister. But that’s just us.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• Cooking spray, for the baking sheet
•  3 1/2 lb pork shoulder roast, bone-in or boneless, trimmed of excess fat
•  3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
•  1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
•  1 small (5 oz) onion, coarsely chopped
•  2 cups coarsely chopped fresh pineapple
•  2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
•  2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
•  2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
•  1 tablespoon lime zest (from 1 lime)
•  3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
•  1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
•  1/4 cup canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
•  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•  4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
•  2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
•  1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade adobo sauce
•  2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade chili powder
•  1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  1 teaspoon ground coriander
•  1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•  1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
•  12 to 15 (6 inch) corn tortillas

 

For the pineapple-avocado salsa

•  1/2 small (5 oz) red onion, diced
•  1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple
•  1 large avocado, diced
•  1 tablespoon avocado oil
•  1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
•  1/2 teaspoon agave
•  2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
•  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

 

For the chipotle mayo

•  1/3 cup store-bought or homemade mayonnaise
•  1/3 cup store-bought or homemade plain Greek yogurt
•  2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade adobo sauce
•  1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Slick a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

 

• Season the pork with 3 teaspoons of the salt and the black pepper, making sure to cover the whole pork shoulder.

 

• Place the onion and pineapple on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the onion and pineapple with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle them with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

 

• Roast the onion and pineapple until tender, flipping them halfway through the cooking time, 15 to 16 minutes. Add the brown sugar and toss the roasted onion and pineapple to coat them. Roast the onion and pineapple until they start to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes.

 

• Drop the onion and pineapple into a blender or large food processor. Add the lime juice, lime zest, orange juice, orange zest, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, broth, vinegar, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, onion powder, allspice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Blitz the ingredients until a smooth, thick sauce forms.

 

• Place the pork in the slow cooker and cover with the pineapple sauce. Cook on low heat until the pork is fork tender, 7 to 8 hours.

 

• Move the pork to a large bowl, and remove the bone if you are cooking a bone-in pork shoulder. Remove any fatty pieces, then use forks or tongs to shred the pork.

 

• Stir in 1/2 cup or more of the leftover sauce from the slow cooker, if desired.

Make the pineapple-avocado salsa:

 

• In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pineapple and avocado. Stir in the oil, lime juice, agave, cilantro, and salt, and mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.

 

Make the chipotle mayo:

 

• In a small bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, adobo sauce, and lime juice and stir well.

 

• Over a gas burner or in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, slightly char the corn tortillas. Top each tortilla with the pork, pineapple-avocado salsa, and chipotle mayo.

 

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