History

Al pastor tacos arrived in Las Vegas as a Tijuana import. Tacos El Gordo opened on the Strip in 2010 (3041 Las Vegas Blvd S) and a downtown branch shortly after, both running vertical trompos with pork marinated in achiote, guajillo chile and pineapple. The Strip location is one of the few places in Vegas that runs the trompo until 4am Friday and Saturday. The Vegas version is closer to the Tijuana style than the Mexico City style: shorter pineapple top on the spit, smaller tortillas, less garnish.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4 (12 tacos)Hands-on 30 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1kg pork shoulder, cut into thin steaks (1cm)
  • 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 4 tablespoons achiote paste
  • 120ml white vinegar
  • 60ml fresh orange juice
  • 60ml fresh pineapple juice
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • Half a fresh pineapple, sliced 1cm thick
  • 24 small corn tortillas
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
  • Lime wedges

Method

  1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water 20 minutes until soft.
  2. Blend the soaked chiles, achiote, vinegar, juices, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper into a smooth marinade.
  3. Pour over the pork steaks in a bowl and coat. Marinate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  4. Stack the pork steaks tightly on a small skewer or in a loaf pan, alternating with thin pineapple slices. Compress firmly.
  5. Cook at 180C (350F) for 2 hours, rotating every 30 minutes. Or grill over hot coals, turning every 10 minutes.
  6. Slice thin pieces off the outside of the cone as it cooks (taqueros call this 'shaving'). Pile two warm corn tortillas, top with pork, diced pineapple, white onion, coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Tip from the editors. If you don't have a trompo, the loaf-pan-in-the-oven method works fine. The key is the high-heat finish to get the crispy outer edge before each slice.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat al pastor tacos

Al pastor tacos in Las Vegas

Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Las Vegas. See the Las Vegas signature dishes guide for the canonical version.

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