Tacos al Pastor: Achiote, Pineapple, and the Trompo Method at Home

Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed. Remove stems and seeds, place in a bowl, and cover with 250 ml of just-boiled water. Soak for 15 minutes until soft.

Drain the soaked chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the achiote paste, 100 g of the fresh pineapple (roughly chopped), white vinegar, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, and the chipotle in adobo if using. Blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Season with 1½ tsp salt. Note: achiote paste stains — work on surfaces you do not mind marking.

For clean slicing, put the pork shoulder in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm but not frozen. Slice against the grain into 3–4 mm slabs (roughly pencil thickness). Combine with all the marinade in a large bowl, coating every slice well. Cover and refrigerate 4–12 hours; overnight is ideal. Hard cap at 24 hours — bromelain in the pineapple will turn the texture past mush beyond that point.

Prepare the garnishes: cut the remaining 200 g pineapple into 1 cm slabs; finely dice the white onion; roughly chop the cilantro; cut the limes into wedges. Set everything aside separately.

Remove the pork from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat for 3–4 minutes until a drop of water vaporizes on contact. Add a thin film of oil. Sear the pork in a single, uncrowded layer — press each slice flat — for 60–90 seconds per side until deeply charred at the edges. Work in batches. Crowding steams the pork instead of charring it. Transfer done slices to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

In the same hot pan or on a grill, cook the pineapple slabs over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until caramelized and lightly charred. Transfer to a board and cut into small cubes.

Warm the corn tortillas directly over a gas burner flame or in a dry cast-iron pan for 20–30 seconds per side until lightly charred and pliable. Stack under a clean cloth to keep warm.

Roughly chop the seared pork into bite-sized pieces. Serve 3 tortillas per person. Top each with pork, a spoonful of caramelized pineapple, diced white onion, and cilantro. Finish with a firm squeeze of lime and eat immediately.