Lay it in a 13X9 inch glass or stainless steel baking dish. (You can stop just before cutting through, let the two halves fall away from each other and you’ll have a single piece of butterflied pork tenderloin.) No matter what cut of pork you have, use a heavy mallet or back of a heavy pan to pound it into about half its thickness-this will ensure tenderness. If you have pork tenderloin, use a sharp knife to cut down the center from end to end. Break up the achiote into the blender and add the oil and 1/3 cup water. Scrape the 1/3 cup of the marinade back into the blender jar. Scrape the remainder into a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for another use. Add the ancho powder along with the spices and herb, vinegar, 1 ¼ cups boiling water and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Place the garlic in a small microwaveable dish, cover with water and microwave for 1 minute. Chopped cilantro for garnishing the tacos. 1/4 of a medium ripe pineapple, cored, sliced ¼ inch thick.1 medium white or red onion, sliced into ¼-inch rounds OR a big handful of knob onions (these are almost always available at Mexican groceries).1 pound (6 to 8) tomatillos, husked and cut in half.5 to 7 large (3/4 ounces) dried red chipotle chiles (often sold as moritas-you’ll want chiles that are about 2 inches long), stemmed.1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin OR 1 ½ pounds thin-sliced boneless pork shoulder or leg meat (a little thicker than ¼-inch is ideal-the kind Mexican butchers use for making their “pastor meat,” but without marinade).1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil, plus more to brush on the onions and pineapple.One half of a 3 1/2-ounce package achiote paste (I’ve had good luck with El Yucateco brand).3 tablespoons vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar).1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela).1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered ancho chile.This recipe is very close to the one I did on Season 12 of Mexico: One Plate at a Time. If you’re using knob onions, I suggest you cut them up for your guests so they can enjoy some with every bite (I know: they never do that in taquerias). But feel free to eliminate the sauce part. While there are many variations on the pastor theme, I think the most evocative version gives every taco a splash of both sauce and salsa. This is my version of that recipe, one that's inspired by a version from a taqueria in Mexico City. Still, we can make delicious tacos with “al pastor flavors” that are close enough to the original to inspire heated debates across the table about who makes the best tacos al pastor and why. To do the real tacos al pastor, we’d all need shawarma-like vertical spits, 40 (or more!) pounds of pork and a crowd to consume it all. We just don’t have access to the right equipment. I freely admit that attempting to recreate Mexico’s wildly popular, frenzy-inspiring tacos al pastor at home is as cavalier as, say, attempting pressure-fried Kentucky Fried Chicken in my kitchen.
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