Pastor Al means “Hazman style” and refers to pork that is traditionally cooked slowly in saliva or vertical rotisserie, like shawarma. The meat is marinated prior to cooking, and there are places along the way where pineapple is added to the mix. To me, the Taco Al pastor is similar to Carnitas, but with the sweet and spicy flavor of Chipotol’s chili pepper and pineapple.
Traditional Al pastors spit out, but most home cooks (including myself) don’t have an easy way to achieve this. Pulling out the slow cooker! This pastor’s recipe may not be traditional, but it is easy to make tender and flavorful pork that can be used in tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas and more.
Related: If you like this recipe, try the Carnitas recipe next!
material
- Pig’s shoulder
- salt
- oregano
- cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne
- Chicken stock
- Adobo’s Chipotle Pepper
- lime
- White onions
- pineapple
How to make Pastor Tacos Al
Mix the dried spices to make salt, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne. Rub the pig’s shoulders with the mix and place it in a slow cooker.
Add chicken stock, chipotle pepper, adobo, lime juice, diced onion and 1/3 of the pineapple to the small chunks. Also place the pineapple husk on top of the meat while cooking.
Cover and cook at an altitude of 5 hours or 10 hours low.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shredd it, and this should be easy to do with two forks. Place the meat in the taco shell and top with diced onion, pineapple and chopped cilantro.
Tips and notes
- Pig shoulders are also known as Boston bats, picnic shoulders, or picnic roasts. If you can’t find this, or if you want a pork substitute, a good alternative is beef chuck roast.
- Do not trim any fat before cooking slowly. I think leaving it adds a touch of kindness to the final dish. I also think it would be easier to remove large fat sections during the shredding process.
- You can use water instead of chicken. If so, I would recommend adding a little more salt, maybe 1/2 tsp or more.
- I love this Rev. Al quickly from a slow cooker once shredded. However, if you want to add textures or crisp edges, you can quickly saute in a bit of oil, just like my Carnitas recipe.
- Pastor Al’s meat makes wonderful leftovers! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 3 days. Easy to rebuild with Stovetop or Microwave.
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Soft pork made with chipotle pepper, onion and pineapple in a slow cooker.
Instructions
-
Mix the dried spices to make salt, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne.
-
Rub the pig’s shoulders with the mix and place it in a slow cooker.
-
Add chicken stock, chipotle pepper, adobo, lime juice, diced onion and 1/3 of the pineapple to the small chunks. Also place the pineapple husk on top of the meat while cooking.
-
Cover and cook at an altitude of 5 hours or 10 hours low.
-
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shredd it, and this should be easy to do with two forks.
-
Place the meat in the taco shell and top with diced onion, pineapple and chopped cilantro.
Note
- Pig shoulders are also known as Boston bats, picnic shoulders, or picnic roasts. If you can’t find this, or if you want a pork substitute, a good alternative is beef chuck roast.
- Do not trim any fat before cooking slowly. I think leaving it adds a touch of kindness to the final dish. I also think it would be easier to remove large fat sections during the shredding process.
- You can use water instead of chicken. If so, I would recommend adding a little more salt, maybe 1/2 tsp or more.
- I love this Rev. Al quickly from a slow cooker once shredded. However, if you want to add textures or crisp edges, you can quickly saute in a bit of oil, just like my Carnitas recipe.
- Pastor Al’s meat makes wonderful leftovers! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 3 days. Easy to rebuild with Stovetop or Microwave.
nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Pastor Al
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
*Percent daily value is based on the 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is automatically calculated using spoon culler for your convenience. If relevant, we recommend using your own nutritional calculations.
Source: A Beautiful Mess – abeautifulmess.com
