The Juiciest Tacos de Trompo Recipe
Here's the secret to the making the perfect tacos de tromp recipe ( al pastor tacos) that includes juicy pineapple, savory marinade , cilantro, and sharp onion at home!
Ingredients
- 2 count ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 2 count pasilla or guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano*
- 1 1/2 tsp dried ground cumin
- 1 count chipotle chile packed in adobo sauce + 1 tablespoon sauce from can
- 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 3 3/8 cup teaspoons Morton kosher salt*
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 count garlic cloves
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder*
- 1 count pineapple, peeled or pineapple chunks
- 6-8 count corn or flour tortillas, warmed in microwave, oven, or skillet
- 1 count white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 can Salsa verde or salsa of your choice
- 4 count 4 limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Put the pork shoulder in the freezer for 15 minutes. This makes it easier to cut into thin slices. While the pork is firming up, prepare the marinade.
- Cook the chiles in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. They should be puffing up, pliable, browning in spots, and very aromatic.
- Add the chicken stock to the skillet and then pour the chiles and stock into a bowl. Place a plate, towl, or plastic wrap over the top and set aside.
- Dry the saucepan and add the vegetable oil. Heat on medium high until the oil is shimmering. Add the oregano, cumin, and achiote, stirring frequently for about 30 seconds. The spices should smell aromatic but not browned.
- Add the chipotle chile and adobo sauce and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Stir in the vinegar, salt, and sugar and remove from heat.
- Scrape the contents of the skillet into a food processor or blender. Toss in the garlic cloves and pour the chiles and their soaking liquid and blend on high speed until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Take the pork out of the freezer and slice it as thinly as possible.
- Place one slice of pork into a heavy duty ziplock bag and pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy skillet until it is less than ¼ of an inch thick. Place in a large bowl and repeat with the rest of the pork slices.
- Add the marinade to the bowl and toss with your hands (wear disposable rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat of the chilies). Make sure every slice of pork is evenly coated.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or transfer to a ziplock bag and marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 36.
- When the meat is finished marinating, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut two circular rounds off the top and bottom of the peeled pineapple and set aside. Core the rest of the pineapple and cut into quarters lengthwise.
- Take a skewer and make sure that it can stand up straight in a large dutch oven with the lid on. Cut it down to size if it is too tall.
- Place one of the pineapple round slices on the skewer to form a base. Begin adding layers of the pork on top of the pineapple. At the very top of the pork slices, add the second pineapple slice.
- Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours.
- Remove from the oven and take the lid off. Place pineapple quarters in the dutch oven and flip them so that all the sides are covered in fat.
- Put back in the oven and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, until the pineapple is tender.
- Carefully remove the skewered pork from the dutch oven and place on a cutting board. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees).
- Cut the pineapple into large chunks. Dice and mince the onion and cilantro. Cut the limes into wedges, and put the salsa in a serving bowl.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave, oven, or skillet, whichever method you prefer.
- Pour all the fat and juices that collected in the dutch oven into a measuring glass or bowl and set aside.
- Using a chef’s knife or slicing knife, thinly slice the meat, creating fine shavings of meat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of reserved juices in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat crisps and deeply browns in spots.
- Add the rest of the reserved drippings and toss to combine. Cook until the juices are reduced to a moist glaze. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve the meat and pineapple with warm tortillas, onions, fresh cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges.
Notes
Mexican oregano
- Mexican oregano has a great flavor profile that's different than oregano. The two plants are actually completely unrelated, with Mexican oregano being a member of the verbena family and “plain” oregano being a part of the mint family. Plain oregano is slightly sweet, bitter, and peppery. Mexican oregano is more floral and citrusy, with slight hints of anise. So really, the two are completely different and I wouldn’t recommend substituting one for the other.
- A better substitute if you don’t have Mexican oregano available is marjoram. It is a little more citrusy then plain oregano.
- Use Achiote powder and paste interchangeably. Achiote powder is sometimes referred to as annatto powder.
- The amount of salt you use should vary based on how much your boneless pork shoulder weighs. Use the ratio 1⅛ teaspoons per pound.
- Properly salting the boneless pork shoulder is key in helping attain excellent trompo meat with coherent slices that are moist, juicy, and crisp. Take into account the weight of your boneless pork shoulder. The amount of salt per pound of boneless meat is 1.25% by weight. If you are using Morton Kosher Salt, that means 3 pounds of boneless pork shoulder should be salted with 3 and ⅜ teaspoons (1 and ⅛ teaspoons salt per pound).
- At 275 degrees Fahrenheit, boneless pork shoulder will cook at 90 minutes per pound (4.5 hours). Adjust the cooking time depending on how much your pork shoulder weighs.
- Pork should reach 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit in the center before taking it out of the oven. Carryover cooking will take the temperature up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit for safe serving.
- Look for pineapples with green leaves and a firm shell that has a small amount of give when squeezed. The pineapple shouldn’t be rock hard.
- The more yellow the exterior is, the riper the fruit will be.
- If the color is going towards dark orange in color, it’s gone too far.
- It should feel heavy, not hollow
- Put your nose close to the bottom of the fruit. If you can smell that fresh pineapple smell, then it’s ready to buy and eat. If it smells funky and fermented (like vinegar), it’s gone too far.