Al Pastor tacos are the definitive street food of Mexico City. Typically, layers of marinaded pork strips are stacked up on a vertical spit or rotisserie like a Middle Eastern shawarma, with the meat being shaved off as it cooks, but here we’re going to use pork tenderloins as it’s less fiddly, they cook quickly, and will happily take on a good char.

The key ingredient here is achiote and in my view gives the whole dish its signature flavour and colour. It’s made from ground annatto seeds and you can find it either as a paste or a ground powder. Try a good online Mexican grocer or Amazon if you are struggling to get hold of it locally.

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins
½ head of white cabbage, shaved
¼ fresh pineapple
½ red onion
15cm/6inch corn tacos
Small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro
2 whole limes
Fresh red chilli
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 chipotle peppers from a jar of chipotle-in-adobo
150ml/5fl oz pineapple juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp achiote paste
1 tbsp ancho chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch each of sea salt (Maldon) and ground black pepper

Method

For the salsa, mix together finely diced pineapple and red onion, squeeze over fresh lime juice and mix in finely chopped chilli and fresh coriander/cilantro.
Next, add all the marinade ingredients to a blender and blitz it to a smooth puree/paste consistency. (The marinade will keep for up to a week in a sealed jar in the fridge, but will also freeze really well, if you want to make a bigger batch).
Place the tenderloins in a container and smother in the marinade then cover and set in the fridge for a few hours.
Set your grill up for two-zone cooking
Sear the tenderloins all over for 10-15 minutes, then move to the indirect side to roast until they hit 65°C/149°F internal temperature.
Set the pork aside to rest.
Toast your tacos for a few seconds each side then wrap in a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft.
Slice the pork as thinly as possible.

Building the tacos