Al pastor on a spit might look like a lot of work, but when you’re surrounded by a kitchen full of hungry friends, it’ll be worth it.

After a fair bit of research, the al pastor recipe I ended up using combined a Los Angeles Times recipe with Rick Bayless’ adobo, “red chile marinade,” from Authentic Mexican. Both use ancho and guajillo chiles, while the Times version used even more kinds of chile and the Bayless recipe used more spices, like thyme and clove.

Slices of al pastor grilling with some poblano peppers that’ll be torn into strips as a taco add-on.

The truth is that you don’t need the rotisserie gizmo to enjoy these tacos. Cut the pork thin and you can grill the marinated slices, and chop them for tacos. A lightly oiled griddle is another authentic way to cook it up.

The Times recipe roasts chunks of the marinated pork on a bed of pineapple and onions before crisping the tender meat under a broiler and shredding it.

These pieces of al pastor are a bit bigger than the classic cut, but I didn’t hear any complaints.

The recipe starts with five pounds of pork. That’s a lot, but don’t you have some friends? If not, do you want to make some?

The cooked meat freezes well, still flavorful after a month in the deep-freezer. After that I can’t say, as it’s never gotten further than that.

Recipe: Tacos al pastor

3 guajillo chiles
3 ancho chiles
2 cascabel chiles
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 onions, peeled and sliced thin

5 pounds boneless pork butt, sliced as close to 1/4 inch as possible

Combine six cups of water, the dried chiles and the bay leaf in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, and let stand until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain. Discard bay leaf, seed and stem chiles.

Put softened chiles in a food processor with the orange and pineapple juices, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and one sliced onion. Pureé until smooth.

Pour the marinade into Ziplocs or a sealable container add the meat and toss to coat. Refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

When it’s time to cook, load the meat onto your homemade al pastor rotisserie, grill over charcoal, or sizzle on a griddle. You’re looking for crispy endges and tender middles. Slice or chop the meat into penny-sized pieces for easier taco-loading.

Serve with bits of grilled or roasted pineapple, chopped onion and cilantro, and a variety of salsas. If you can somehow talk a guy like Mike Andrzejewski into making handmade tortillas, then you are lucky indeed, for you have the worthiest canvas to display your masterwork.

Taco al pastor: marinated crispy pork, roasted pinapple, avocado salsa verde, on a handmade tortilla. Ay caramba.

Filed under: Home cooking, How-to, Recipes, grilling, meat, parties, pork, stunt-cooking