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Tacos Al Pastor Recipe – Homemade Version

Charbel Barker — Thu, 04 May 2017 13:00:55 +0000

Inside: Find out how to make homemade Tacos al Pastor with slowly marinated pork, grilled to perfection, and served with grilled pineapple.

Para Leer En Espanol, Haz Click Aqui.

Tacos al Pastor is definitely one of my favorite kinds of tacos. The tender pork is marinated in a delicious sauce. Then it is slowly grilled, thinly sliced, and served with fresh pineapple, cilantro, and chopped onions.

Tacos al pastor is a perfect meal for any day of the week, especially for budget-conscious moms and dads.

It is no secret that the best tacos in the world come from Mexico. On every street corner and at every restaurant in Mexico, you can find many different varieties depending on your tastes.

All tacos in Mexico have a few common elements, such as fresh corn tortillas, freshly chopped cilantro and onions, lime, and a pinch of salt. The meat is really the main part that varies.

What Are Tacos Al Pastor?

Some of you may be asking, “what are tacos al pastor?” Lucky for you, I am going to show you! The traditional way to make tacos al pastor is to take thin slices of marinated pork and pile them on top of each other.

Next, the meat is placed on a large trompo, which literally means “spinning top.” The meat then spins around in front of an open fire until it begins to cook through.

When the outer layer of meat is grilled, the taquero (the person preparing the tacos) cuts off layers of meat so that inner layers cook as well. As he cuts the meat, it falls off the trompo in small pieces directly onto the tortilla that the taquero holds with his other hand.

As you can see, being a taquero requires more skill than one might think! The taco is then served with finely chopped onions, cilantro, pieces of pineapple and either salsa roja or verde.

Here in the United States, it can be difficult to find authentic tacos al pastor. I only found one place a few years ago that actually prepared them in the traditional way using a trompo. Unfortunately, they closed down not too long ago.

Even though it can be hard to make tacos al pastor in the 100% traditional way, that is no reason not to try to replicate the flavors with what we have. Although this tacos al pastor recipe does not use a trompo, the flavors are close to perfect!

How To Make Tacos Al Pastor

The secret to having the right flavor is in the marinade. Tacos al pastor have a distinct flavor and you have to make them right to achieve the “al pastor” flavor.

A secret to making tacos al pastor is to include pineapple juice in the marinade, as well as fresh pieces of grilled pineapple on the tacos themselves. One bite of this flavor combination and you will be coming back for more!

Normally this would be the step where you pile the meat on top of each other and put it on the trompo, so that it can be cooked slowly while spinning. Since I don’t have a trompo, we grilled the meat and then stacked the pieces on top of each other before cutting.

You will want to grill the pork until it has nice grill marks and is cooked all the way through. It should still have a red color to it when it is ready to eat. After you take the meat off, go ahead and grill the pineapple too.

After the meat and the pineapples are fully cooked, you will cut the meat into thin slices and the pineapples into bite-sized chunks. Of course, all tacos need to have a homemade salsa to serve them with, and tacos al pastor is no exception.

Serving Tacos Al Pastor With Salsa

My favorite salsa to make for tacos al pastor is this chipotle and tomatillo-based salsa. It also has pineapple juice and goes perfectly with this meal. It is easy to make, and it will really make a huge difference in your tacos.

You can also use salsa roja, salsa verde, or even salsa ranchera. They are all delicious.

The last step in the process is, of course, to pick the taco up and enjoy it! These tacos are truly perfect for any occasion, and since they don’t cost a lot of money to make, you won’t have to feel bad about eating as many as you can.

I hope that you enjoy this delicious recipe that I grew up eating on a regular basis in Mexico. My husband fell in love with these tacos the first time he went to Mexico. He said that these taste just as good as the ones that he tried there, and I have to say that I agree!

Check Out These Other Tacos Recipes

Products Used In This Tacos Al Pastor Recipe

Gas Grill: You will need a good gas grill to cook the meat. This one is less expensive than others and will definitely do the job.

Knife Set: When you make tacos al pastor, you want to make sure that you have a sharp knife to slice the meat perfectly. If you don’t have a sharp, high-quality knife set yet, I recommend this one. It will last you for years and will result in perfect slices of meat.

Tortilla Press: Although you can make these with store-bought tortillas, homemade tortillas are always best. You can make them easily with this tortilla press.

The Best Tacos Al Pastor Recipe

Tacos al Pastor - made with slow marinated pork, grilled to perfection, and served with grilled pineapple.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword tacos al pastor

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 30

Total Time 4 30

Servings tacos

Calories 171kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

For the Al Pastor Meat/Marinade

2-3 pound Pork Loin cut into thin slices
4 Guajillo Chile boiled, de-seeded, and cleaned.
1 Ancho Chile boiled, de-seeded, and cleaned.
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 cup of orange juice
3/4 cup of pineapple juice fresh is better
1 Tablespoon of Oregano
1 Tablespoon of Thyme
1 Tablespoon of Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
1-2 Tablespoons of Paprika
1-2 Tablespoons of Salt
3 Cloves

For the Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Sauce

3 Tomatillos
1/4 Onion
2 small cloves of garlic
1-2 chipotles depending on level of spiciness you want
3 Tablespoons of Pineapple juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Tacos

15 Corn Tortillas
Chopped cilantro
Chopped Onions
Lime juice
Salt
Grilled pineapple
Tacos al pastor meat

Instructions

For the Al Pastor Meat/Marinade

Blend all of the ingredients together until completely combined.
Strain the liquid over a bowl to end up with a smooth marinade.
Add one layer of meat in a large bowl or baking dish and cover with the marinade, and then repeat in layers until all of the meat and marinade have been used.
Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best)
Remove from the refrigerator and grill the meat until cooked through.
Remove from grill and cut into thin slices to serve on the tacos.

For the Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

Roast the tomatillo, onion, and garlic in the oven on baking sheet at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes, remove from oven.
Blend with the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper until well combined.
Put in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the Tacos

Heat the tortillas with a little bit of oil.
Add the meat, the pineapple, the salsa, the lime juice, the cilantro and onions, and enjoy!

Nutrition

The post Tacos Al Pastor Recipe – Homemade Version appeared first on My Latina Table.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos

Charbel Barker — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 13:00:24 +0000

This slow cooker pork carnitas recipes is perfect for making some delicious tacos that your guests will keep coming back for!

If you are a long time follower of this website, then you probably have realized that I talk a lot of about my grandma. It is very easy to explain why – she was one of the most influential people in my life when I was growing up and she taught me most of what I know today about cooking – including how to make this delicious pork carnitas recipe.

When I was growing up, we didn’t have access to electric slow cookers, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t cook things slow! The difference is that we had to cook our pork carnitas in a large pot all day long instead of just plugging in a slow cooker and letting it go. That said, now that we have the convenience of a slow cooker, I love using it!

Don’t have a slow cooker – check this one out!

My grandma taught me so many tips and tricks to make food taste better and nearly every recipe I know, I learned from her. Even though my grandma taught me a lot about food, she also taught me something more important – to be kind, compassionate and to care about others. My grandma was always willing to help anyone in need.

There were times where other people in my town didn’t have food, and she would sacrifice her time and effort to make more so that they could eat too. Everyone knew that there would always be a fresh, hot, and delicious meal at my grandma’s house.

This slow cooker pork carnitas recipe takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare, and then the pork will need to cook in your slow cooker for at least 4 hours before taking it out and serving it with tortillas, cilantro, and fresh salsa.

To make them, I recommend using Pork Shoulder, but really any other tender cut of pork will do.

If you have never had pork carnitas, then you are going to be surprised how amazing it tastes. Because of how the pork is cooked, it is extremely juicy and tender, and has an unmistakable flavor. Some of the ingredients that you will need are oranges, cola, fresh herbs and spices, and of course Pork.

You will start by cutting the pork into smaller pieces and frying in a hot pan before adding to the slow cooker to finish cooking with the rest of the ingredients.

After it is done cooking, you will give it a rough shred before serving it with tortillas for tacos. Don’t be surprised if there are no leftovers – trust me, everyone is going to be asking for more!

We recently made this for some friends that were in town visiting, and they couldn’t get enough of it. That is one of the reasons that I decided to post the recipe on my website – so that everyone can try the tasty and delicious Mexican pork carnitas.

I truly hope that you enjoy this recipe. Please come back and let me know in the comments below how it turns out!

Check out these other great Mexican favorites!

- Authentic Mexican Carne Asada
- Tacos Al Pastor Recipe Homemade Version
- Barbacoa Tacos
- Mexican-Style Sweet and Spicy Pork
- Charro Beans Authentic Mexican Recipe

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos

This slow cooker pork carnitas recipes is perfect for making some delicious tacos that your guests will keep coming back for!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

1 Pork Shoulder
1 Cup of Cola Soft Drink
2 Oranges - you will need the juice and the peels
1 cup of pork lard or 1 cup of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of thyme
1-2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
salt to taste

Instructions

Cut the Pork Shoulder into smaller chunks
Season the pork with Salt, Pepper and Oregano, and fry in the lard or coconut oil.
Add the pork and the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours
After four hours, remove from the slow cooker and roughly shred the pork - you will want somewhat larger pieces and return to the slow cooker.
Serve over corn tortillas with cilantro, fresh salsa, and lemon juice.

The post Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos appeared first on My Latina Table.

The Most Delicious Thirty-Minute Bananas Foster French Toast Recipe

Charbel Barker — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 00:11:11 +0000

Inside: Learn how to make this easy bananas foster recipe that you can make in 30 minutes or less and which is amazing on top of french toast.

Leer en Espanol.

I have mentioned in other recipes that breakfast in Mexico is the most important meal of the day. That is why I love finding making delicious recipes like this bananas foster french toast. Although this particular type of breakfast may not be common in Mexico, I sure do love making it for my family here in the United States!

A couple of years ago, my husband planned a weekend escape for our anniversary. He secretly planned everything, from who would watch the boys, to the fancy dinner, to a couples massage, and a nice hotel. This all came as an amazing surprise for me. It was a very relaxing weekend and we were able to try some great restaurants too.

The restaurant that we went to for breakfast was beautifully decorated and had a great environment. It also just happens to be where we first this amazing breakfast, which is also considered a classic new orleans dessert, bananas foster french toast. It was so delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it even though it was a very large portion! The best part about this recipe is that it is so easy to make and can be made in only a couple of minutes with a handful of ingredients!

Those that know me know that I love spicy, savory foods. I like sweets too, but they always come second. For example, sometimes I will buy ice cream thinking that I will be eating it soon, and a few days later when I am ready to eat a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream, I come to find that my husband already finished it off days earlier!

All that said, there are some sweet recipes that I can’t stop eating like this delicious dessert.

What is Bananas Foster French Toast?

Bananas foster is a a delicious and sweet treat that was created by chef Paul Blangé in new orleans. It consists of rich ingredients like heavy cream, overripe bananas, melted butter, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla. It was named for Richard Foster, who was the chairman of the New Orleans crime commission. It is traditionally made with dark rum as well, but this recipe omits that but is still amazing and super easy to make.

Bananas foster is typically served with vanilla ice cream, but it also goes great with French toast. All you have to do is make the French toast, then the sauce, and drizzle it over the top. Served with whipped cream and fruit, this makes for an amazing final dish.

Ever since we made this for the first time, it has become very popular in our house. The kids always request it for their birthday breakfast and my husband makes it every Sunday for a special breakfast.

How Do You Make Bananas Foster?

One of the great things about this particular recipe is that it is easy to make and uses common ingredients like leftover bananas, heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

I always start by making the french toast, because the bananas foster sauce doesn’t take very long to make and it is great served warm.

To make the bananas foster sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

unsalted butter
brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
vanilla extract
ground cinnamon
heavy whipping cream
bananas

For the French toast, you will need the following ingredients:

Brioche bread (or any other bread that you prefer)
heavy whipping cream
vanilla extract
cinnamon
eggs

To make the sauce, start by melting the butter over low heat in a large skillet, and then adding the brown sugar. Next, you add the ground cinnamon and vanilla and let it simmer for about a minute. Finally, slowly add the heavy whipping cream, stirring quickly until you get the delicious creamy texture. The last step is to add the sliced bananas and stir until everything is combined. One of the best parts of this recipe is the warm bananas, so once they are a bit soft, remove from the heat and it is ready to serve either on top of the ice cream or the french toast, depending on how you are serving it.

For the French toast, you will start by combining the eggs, heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well and then get out the bread that you have chosen to use.

Heat a skillet to medium heat, and then dip each piece of bread in the liquid and cook until golden brown on each side. Serve quickly with the bananas foster sauce and enjoy!

I hope that you will try this recipe on one of those lazy days where everyone is at home, relaxing and spending time as a family. The secret to making this bananas foster french toast is having nice, thick bread, and making the Bananas Foster sauce with extreme caution so that it doesn’t burn.

Some people add rum or banana liqueur to the recipe, but I don’t like it, so I haven’t included it in this recipe. In my opinion it doesn’t affect the flavor at all so give it a try!

Other Delicious Breakfast Recipes

If you are looking for some more great breakfast recipes, sweet or savory, check out these:

Be sure to try this recipe and don’t forget to leave a review in the comments below

Bananas Foster French Toast

Bananas Foster French Toast is a perfect recipe for any occasion. The flavors are unbeatable and everyone will love it.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, french toast

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 555kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

For the French Toast

10 Slices of Thick Cut Bread I used Texas Toast
1-2 cups of whipping cream
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract
2 tbsp of sugar
1 Pinch of salt

For the Bananas Foster

1/2 Cup of butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of whipping cream
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Bananas cut into round slices

Instructions

French Toast

Combine all of the ingredients except for the bread, and mix well.
Submerge each slice of bread in the mix, and turn it over to make sure the other side is covered as well.
Melt some butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the toast, one side at a time until slightly browned. Set aside

Bananas Foster

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the sugar and stir well.
Let simmer for about one minute.
Add the cinnamon and vanilla and let simmer for about a minute.
Slowly add the heavy whipping cream, stirring quickly until it has a smooth, creamy texture. Let simmer on low heat for about 2-3 minutes and then add the sliced bananas.
Serve immediately over the French Toast with whipped cream and powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

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Nutrition

The post The Most Delicious Thirty-Minute Bananas Foster French Toast Recipe appeared first on My Latina Table.

The Best Made-From-Scratch Strawberry Lemonade

Charbel Barker — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 02:22:04 +0000

Inside: Learn how to make this refreshing strawberry lemonade recipe from scratch and be prepared to be amazed at how delicious it is!

Para Leer en Español, Haz Click Aquí.

I love fresh juices, especially when they are made with real fruit. Being from a very hot city in Mexico where there definitely is no Winter, fresh, cold beverages are very popular.

Horchata, Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea), and of course fruity beverages like this strawberry lemonade are a big hit when it is hot outside.

This strawberry lemonade recipe is especially convenient when strawberries are in season. I mean, what is better than a delicious drink for a fraction of the cost?

This is a great choice for parties, barbecues, or for any other family get togethers. The perfect amount of lemon balances the sweet flavor of the strawberry syrup that forms the base of this recipe. You can use this same syrup to go with ice cream, crepes, or even cakes!

How Do You Make Strawberry Lemonade From Scratch?

To make this recipe, you will need to start by making the homemade strawberry syrup.

Do so by adding a 16 ounce package of fresh strawberries, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 1/4 cup of water to a pot, and bringing it to a slow boil until the strawberries are soft (about 5-8 minutes). Then, let the syrup rest at room temperature.

Finish by blending the syrup with 1 cup of lemon juice, and 2 liters of water. Finally, pour the entire mixture into a pitcher and add ice, fresh cut strawberries, lemons, and ice.

You see? That wasn’t so difficult, was it? This recipe has served me very well over the years and everyone is impressed when they find out it is homemade.

Let me know in the comments below how it turned out.

Other Homemade Beverages

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Make this homemade fresh strawberry lemonade recipe in no time at all.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword lemonade

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings 8 oz. servings

Calories 140kcal

Author Charbel Barker

Ingredients

1 16 oz package of fresh strawberries
1 cup of lemon juice around 5 lemons
1.5 cups of sugar
2 liters of water
Extra strawberries cut up into smaller pieces
Ice

Instructions

Start by making the strawberry syrup, adding the strawberries, sugar, and water to a saucepan and bringing to a slow boil until the strawberries are softened, about 5-8 minutes.
Let the syrup cool at room temperature.
Blend the strawberry syrup with the water and the lemon juice.
Pour into a pitcher and add fresh strawberries and lemons, and serve with ice.

Nutrition

The post The Best Made-From-Scratch Strawberry Lemonade appeared first on My Latina Table.