Slow-grilled Pork al Pastor(Border cookbook)


 

Pat Barnes

TVWBB Pro
This is it. Hope I'm not violating any copyright laws.
SLOW-GRILLED PORK AL PASTOR
Cooking "al pastor" means to spit-roast meat in the style of the shephards. Sheepherders in northern Mexico,often Basque in origin,
perfected the technique over campfires with
mutton,skewering or splaying the meat at a 45-75 degree angle over the coals to enhance the tenderness and flavor through slow,smokey
cooking. The practice is still widespread in the
north particularly in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas
where the meat today is likely to be cabrito.
It's difficult to emulate the method exactly without specila equipment,but you can match the results on a standard charcoal grill by using a rotisserie attachment OR the slow cooking process we describe. This pork al pastor adaption of the shephards oroginal meal,benefits from an array of robust country seasonings.

Dried Seasonings
1TBSP ground dried mild red chile,preferably
anco or New Mexican
2tsp ground dried chipotle chile or other
medium-hot chile
2tsp salt
1tsp dried oregano preferably Mexican
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds,toasted and ground
1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sage

Marinade
1-1/2 cups pineapple juice
2TBSP vegatable oil
4 garlic cloves,minced


1-3/4 to 2 lb pork loin(I use tenderloins that
are packed 2 to the package)
Mesquite chips or beans
Flour tortillas,preferably thin and less than
8" in diameter.
Salsa(s) of choice

At least 6 hours before cooking and up to the night before,start preparations. In a small bowl,stir togher the dried seasonings. Combine 1-1/2 tablespoons of the dried seasonings with the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork in a plastic bag. refrigerate the pork.
Take the meat from the refrigerator 45 minutes before you plan to cook it. Drain the pork,
discarding the marinade. Massage the remaining
dried seasoning mixture evenly over the pork and let it sit at room temperature,uncovered.
On an outdoor grill,fire up about 30 or 35 charcoal briquetes,and put a few handfuls of mesquite chips or beans in water to soak. When
the charcoal is totally covered in gray ash and
shows tinges of white ash,spread the mesquite
on top. Pile the the coals loosely on one side of the grill. Place the pork on the other side of the grill,away from the coals.
Cover the grill,positioning the lid's damper immediately above the meat,and leaving all of the dampers open. Insert a deep-fry or candy
thermometer through the damper above the meat to monitor the temperature. The cooking time should be about 2 hours at a temperature average of 300-350 degF. The cooking temperature should start at the higher end and
drop gradually to the lower. If the temperature appears to be dropping rapidly,fire up another 10 to 15 coals and add them as needed to keep the temperature in the preffered range. The pork is done when the interneal temperature taken on an instant-read thermometer
measures 155-160 degF.
Let the meat satand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing very thin. Toss the slices together so that each portion has some of the seasoned exterior meat mixed with the moister interior meat. Serve with warm tortillas ans salsa.


I said it was written for the Kettle,with or without the rotisserie attachment. If I had the rotisserie I would probably do the loin instead of the tenderloin and arrange the coals differently. We usually serve these with quacamole,grated cheese,chopped tomato,shredded lettuce and sometimes sour cream.
 

 

Back
Top