A brilliant sauce that is a smoky, a little sweet, garlicky and a little hot. It can be used for braising, marinating or stir frying specially for chicken, meats and works really well with mushrooms, cauliflower and root vegetables.
Al Pastor mushroom is great in tacos but also rice bowls, burritos. We love to make mushroom Al Pastor for tacos, it has similar texture to carnitas or steak and make an excellent filling for tacos.
Al pastor in Spanish means Shepherd style. Introduced by Lebanese immigrants in Mexico, the cooking process of Al Pastor is like shawarma where meats are marinated and slow cooked on a spit.
Al pastor marinade or cooking sauce uses a traditional flavors of Adobada that includes red chili powder, oregano, cumin, chipotle, garlic. The pineapple I’m guessing is used to soften the meat and maybe to add a little sweetness. Either way the is a brilliant sauce and we have embraced it into our recipe collection. Enjoy!
- Al Pastor marinade
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons Mexican chili powder (links are only for reference, you can find them in your grocery store for lesser price)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce +2-3 tablespoons of the sauce (links are only for reference, you can find them in your grocery store for lesser price)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican or regular oregano
- ¼ cup apple cider or plain white vinegar
- 1 cup fresh pineapple cubes + some of the juice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
In a blender or food processor combine the garlic, chili powder, paprika, chipotle chilies, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, cumin, oregano, 1 cup of the pineapple chunks, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the sesame seed. Makes about 2 cups sauce.
Use as a marinade for chicken or meats or stir fry sauce. Makes enough sauce for 1 1/2 pounds chicken or meats or one pound mushrooms, 1 medium cauliflower, or sweet potatoes.
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