Why this recipe works, the traditional filling for “shepherd-style tacos” is made from slices of chile-marinated pork shoulder that are tightly packed onto a vertical spit and roasted. The pork is often topped with a whole pineapple, the juices of which drip down and help caramelize the meat. Thin shavings of the roasted pork and pineapple are carved off into warm tortillas and topped with raw onion, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Since most home cooks don’t own a vertical rotisserie, here is our translation for your home kitchen (you’re welcome). To infuse the richly marbled pork and complement the pineapple, we chose flavorful fruity smoky dried guajillo chiles for the tomato-based marinade. To replicate the crisp, browned exterior of authentic versions, we grilled the pork slabs and pineapple rounds over a hot fire. Boneless pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket.
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 3 hours
INGREDIENTS:
- 1¾ ounces (12 to 14) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into ½-inch pieces (1½ cups)
- 1½ cups water
- 1¼ pounds plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 pounds boneless pork butt roast, fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch thick, pork sliced against
grain into ½-inch-thick slabs - 1½ teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- ½ pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch-thick rings
- Vegetable oil
- 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toast guajillos in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 6 minutes. Stir in water, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, cumin, and cloves and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until guajillos are softened and tomatoes mash easily, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer guajillo mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids and return puree to pot.
- Submerge pork in sauce and bring to simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until pork is tender but not falling apart, about 1½ hours, flipping and rearranging pork halfway through cooking. (Pork and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) 4. Transfer pork to large plate, season both sides with salt, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Whisk sauce to recombine and transfer ½ cup to bowl for grilling. Pour off all but ½ cup sauce left in pot (reserve excess sauce for another use). Stir lime juice into sauce in pot and season with salt to taste. Brush pineapple with oil and season with salt.
FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
- Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
FOR A GAS GRILL:
- Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place pineapple on grill and cook, turning as needed, until softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to cutting board. Meanwhile, brush 1 side of pork with ¼ cup reserved sauce, then place on grill, sauce side down. Cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with second side using remaining ¼ cup reserved sauce; transfer to cutting board and tent with foil.
- Working in batches, grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and spotty brown, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in foil to keep warm.
- Chop pineapple and transfer to serving bowl. Cut pork crosswise into ⅛-inch pieces. Bring sauce in pot to simmer over medium heat. Off heat, stir in sliced pork. Spoon small amount of pork into each tortilla and serve, passing cilantro, pineapple, and lime wedges separately.
