Al Pastor Pork

We tried this recipe for the first time about 3 years ago and it instantly became a family favorite. We affectionaly call it the "Meat Tower" and it is one of those dishes that will make your mouth water from the moment you whisk up the marinade until you are able to take that first bite!

These days we generally cook this outside on the Big Green Egg, but it can also be done in the oven. It takes a couple of hours to cook though, so if it were not for the Big Green Egg, we would only make this during the cooler months.

We like to serve this on tortillas, corn for Wonder Dad and myself, flour for the kiddo. We top it with fresh pico de gallo and/or salsa. My favorite was a pineapple relish/salsa we threw together with leftover fresh pineapple. YUM!

We made this one of the signature dishes we prepared for a family Christmas meal a few years ago and we still get requests to bring it to get-togethers. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!


Al Pastor Pork

Stuff You Need:

• 5 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 3 tablespoons achiote paste
• 2 tablespoons ancho or chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 pineapple, skinned and sliced into 1-inch rounds
• tortillas (corn, flour, etc.)

What To Do:

1. Slice the pork shoulder into about 1-centimeter (¼ in) slices, then transfer to a large dish or bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the achiote paste, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and pineapple juice, mashing and stirring until smooth with no lumps.
3. Pour the marinade over the pork slices, then toss to make sure they are coated on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
4. Place a slice or two of the pineapple on the meat skewer. I've been using this Brazillian Gaucho Skewer since it is free-standing. I like to place it in an aluminum pie plate or something like that to catch the drippings on the grill.
5. Remove the pork from the fridge and push the slices through the skewer, layering one after the other until there is a 1-inch (2 ½ cm) gap at the top. Push another pineapple slice on top.
6. Get your grill up to about 300F and place your meat tower in the center of the grill, indirect heat if at all possible. Cook for 2 to 2.5 hours. I like to baste with extra pineapple juice every 20-30 minutes.
7. If you are preparing indoors, heat oven to 350F, remove all be the lowest rack and bake for 2-3 hours. As with the grill, I like to baste with extra pineapple juice every 20-30 minutes.
8. Once the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 160F, rest the meat for about 10 minutes, then carve off thin slices of pork.
9. Serve on tortillas (corn or flour, your choice!), top with salsa, pico de gallo, or cilantro and diced onions as desired.

     

Bacon Shell Tacos

This recipe is almost word-for-word from Nick over at Dude Foods. I decided to give this a try for Father's Day this summer as tacos are one of Wonder Dad's favorite foods. And we had both been missing his favorite crispy treat. Sure, we had been enjoying some nice spicy lettuce wraps, but it just wasn't quite the same experience. So when I saw these instructions on the Dude Foods blog, I knew I had to give it a try.

To say that this dish was a success is such an understatement. Right then and there, Wonder Dad and Wonder Boy alike, put in their "order" to have these as their special meal on their birthdays!

So ... without further ado, I give you the

Bacon Shell Tacos

Stuff You Need:

• bacon
• kabob sticks
• pint-sized mason jars

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Create square bacon weave. I used 6 strips across and 6 strips down.
3. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
4. This is the point where I diverge from Nick's instructions. Nick shaped his square weave into a circle, like a traditional taco shell. I didn't feel like going to all that trouble, so I simply sliced mine in half, making 2 rectangles.
5. Place your mason jars on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum and balance your kabob sticks between them.
6. Hang the bacon rectangles over the kabob sticks that are balanced across the mason jars and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until bacon is cooked to desired crispness.
7. Remove from oven, stuff with your favorite taco meat or fajitas, and top with fresh salsa or pico de gallo.

It has simply AMAZED me how well these hold their shape! And unlike a crispy corn taco shell, when you bite into it, it doesn't crumble all over your plate.

However, with the fat & salt content of the bacon so high, this is not a dish I would label "healthy" and thus this is only a go-to for super special occasions around here. So it is with great anticipation we flip through the calendar, looking for days that are "Bacon Taco Worthy."

On what special days would you break out this incredible treat?