Smoked Tacos Al Pastor

July 21, 2021 12:00 PM CDT
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Smoked Tacos Al Pastor

by Emily C.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12 hours
Total time: 12 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Description:
The second meal in our smoking recipe series, these mouthwatering tacos are an all time favorite.
Ingredients:
  • 3-4lbs Pork butt or pork shoulder
  • 2 large papilla chile
  • 5-6 guajillo chiles
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 2 chiplotle from a can of adobe
  • 2 tablespoons adobe sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 3 cups fresh pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 4 tortilla shells
  • 4 lime wedges
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple or pineapple salsa
Steps:
  1. 1 In a small sauce pan boil pasilla chile and guajillo chiles until guajillo chile is soft. about 10 minutes.
  2. 2 Take chiles out, remove stems and seeds.
  3. 3 Place in blender with vinegar, orange juice, pineapple,garlic, onion, cumin, lime, chipotle, adobe sauce, vinegar, pineapple, salt, oregano, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Divide in to two.
  4. 4 Using an injector- inject ½ of the marinade into the pork.
  5. 5 Start by injecting your meat. Place in the needle and move it 4 different directions squirting marinade into each direction.
  6. 6 Continue this all over the pork shoulder until you have used about ½ the marinade OR you have put all that you can into the meat. Pour the remaining al pastor sauce over and under the pork butt.
  7. 7 Allow to marinate 4 hours to overnight.
  8. 8 Preheat the smoker to 270, and wait until it burns clean.
  9. 9 Put your pork fat side up on the smoker. Also place a dish of water to the side. Let smoke for 3 hours at 270.
  10. 10 To remove from the smoker use a clean dry bowl and pick it up. Using a towel, instead of tongs will keep the meat from squeezing and juices excreting.
  11. 11 At about hour 6-7 you should see the fat cap separating and splitting at that point you will want to remove the pork from the smoker and wrap it in foil.
  12. 12 Once foil wrapped place back on the smoker for another at 270 for one house. Raise the temp to 290 and keep on smoker until the internal temp is about 200-204. Remove from smoker. Let rest.