Tex Mex Tacos Al Pastor Food

BRAISED OXTAIL "AL PASTOR" TACO

Steps:

• Heat a flat-top griddle to 500 degrees F and preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter on the griddle. Sprinkle the oxtails with salt and pepper, then sear, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, rough chop carrots, celery and onion (mirepoix).
• Remove oxtails and set aside.
• Put mirepoix and garlic on base of a hotel pan or roasting pan and place oxtails directly on top. Cover with root beer and ox stock (ensure meat is covered with liquid) and cover tightly with foil.
• Roast until meat is fall-off-the bone-tender, about 10 hours.
• Remove oxtails from pan, then let cool in a large bowl. Shred meat off bone, discarding bones and large chunks of fat; set aside bones for stock, if desired.
• For the taco assembly: Saute ox meat with the root beer syrup (just enough to hydrate, not enough to reseason meat) in a frying pan. Place on a warmed corn tortilla, top with Pineapple and Roasted Jalapeno Salsa, crumbled chicharrones and a drizzle of Agave Hot Sauce. Finish with cilantro and enjoy your trip to Flavortown.
• Mix together the pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and lime juice in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper or lime.
• Mix together the hot sauce and agave in a bowl until incorporated well.

MEXICAN TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• For the marinade: Seed the chiles, and chop finely.
• Mash them together with the garlic, cloves, and cumin; add vinegar (avoid touching the chiles and vinegar with your bare hands if possible to prevent burning the skin).
• Boil the ingredients in heavy saucepan until it thickens into a heavy paste, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
• Let cool.
• Cut the pork meat in thin steaks or slices (normally the slices rest on top of each other while marinating and cooking).
• Apply the paste to the meat putting one slice on top of the other (At an authentic taqueria, this would form a unit topped with pineapple for added flavor and moisture, and placed into the rotisserie and rotated constantly).
• Cover and place in the fridge at least 6 hours (or overnight).
• If using a rotisserie, cook the meat until well done.
• If not using a rotisserie, drain the marinade and cut the pork in small pieces.
• Put in a frying pan with a little oil and cook the meat with small pieces of pineapple making sure the pork is well-cooked, using care not to burn.
• While the meat is cooking, heat the tortillas.
• Finely chop the onion and cilantro together.
• Cut the limes in quarters.
• Serve the cooked meat wrapped in the hot tortillas, and garnished with the chopped cilantro, onion, pineapple, and the lime quarters.

TEX MEX TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, oregano, guajillo chile powder, black pepper, cumin, salt, orange juice and achiote paste.
• Add the pork slices and turn to coat both sides.
• Marinate at least 1 hour, but not more than 3 hours.
• Heat the grill.
• Place the meat over a hot fire and cook, turning once and basting with any leftover marinade during cooking, until crisp.
• At the same time, grill the pineapple strips turning as needed until lightly browned.
• Both the pork and pineapple should take no longer than about 5 minutes.
• To assemble; chop the grilled pork into 1/4 inch pieces.
• Cut the pineapple into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Place the pork on the warmed tortillas and top with the onion, cilantro and pineapple pieces.
• Serve the Picante Sauce on the side.

TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Break off the stem ends of the cascabel and ancho (or guajillo) chiles and shake out and discard the seeds. Place chiles in a saucepan and pour over cold water to just cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak, 15 minutes.
• In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, oil, citrus juices, stemmed chile de árbol, garlic, clove, achiote seeds, cumin, oregano and salt. Add the soaked chiles and a few tablespoons of the soaking water and purée until smooth. Add more of the soaking water if needed to make a thin paste. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the marinade for cooking.
• Sprinkle the meat with salt. Place in a container, add remaining marinade, and mix until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. (The recipe can be made up to this point up to 1 day in advance.) Bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Combine the pineapple and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir often until the sugar is melted and the pineapple is caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 225 degrees. Prepare a tortilla basket or slightly damp clean dish towel. On a griddle or in a heavy skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides until hot and blistered, stacking them in the basket or wrapped in the towel. Transfer to the oven until ready to serve.
• Place a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Drain off all excess liquid from the meat and blot between layers of paper towels. Add the oil to the hot skillet, swirl to heat through, then add 2 tablespoons marinade. Let sizzle for a moment, then add the meat, spreading it out in a single layer. (If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Let meat cook undisturbed over high heat until browned on the bottom, then sauté over high heat, stirring often, until cooked through but still moist, about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes, taste and stir in more reserved marinade as needed. When cooked, transfer to a serving bowl.
• Place everything on the table, including the toppings, and serve at once.