AUSTIN, Texas — Eating with a fork and knife at a tailgate isn't ideal, so we've got a good handheld option in this week's Foodie Friday.
Chef Tim Muench from Brama in North Austin has a great recipe for tacos al pastor that'll make every tailgate a lot more flavorful.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 peeled pineapple
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pineapple and grill grate
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled or 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 4 chipotle chiles in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 4 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons ancho chili powder or substitute chili powder for kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice plus lime wedges
- 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin trimmed of silverskin and halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro to garnish
- Corn and or flour tortillas warmed
- Finely chopped white onion to garnish
- Simple picked carrots to garnish
STEPS
- Cut ½-inch-thick rounds from the pineapple. Quarter 2 of the rounds, trimming and discarding the core, and place in a food processor or blender. Add the oil, brown sugar, garlic, chipotles and adobo, cumin, ancho or chili powder and 4 teaspoons of salt. Process or blend until smooth for about 1 minute, scraping the bowl or jar as needed. Pour ½ cup of the puree into a container big enough to marinate the pork, and then pour the rest into a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lime juice and set aside.
- Place the tenderloin halves on a cutting board and using a meat mallet, gently pound the pork to an even ½-inch thickness. Season both sides of each piece with salt and pepper, place in the baking dish and turn to coat with the puree. Let marinate while you prepare the grill.
- Prepare a grill for direct, medium-high heat cooking. For a charcoal grill, spread a large chimney of hot coals evenly over one side of the grill bed and open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, set all burners to medium-high. Heat the grill covered for 10 to 15 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate.
- Brush the remaining pineapple rounds with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on the hot side of the grill and cook until charred on both sides, which takes about two minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Place the tenderloin halves on the hot side of the grill and cook uncovered until nicely grill-marked, which should take about three minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, scrape the pork-free from the grill grate, then flip. Cook until the second sides are nicely grill-marked and the center reaches 140°F or if it's just barely pink when cut into, about another three minutes. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for about five minutes.
- Chop the pineapple slices into rough ½-inch pieces, trimming and discarding the core. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cilantro, the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut the pork crosswise on the diagonal into thin slices. Transfer to a medium bowl, pour in any pork juices on the plate, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple puree. Serve the pork, the chopped pineapple and the remaining reserved pineapple puree with the tortillas, chopped onion, lime wedges and pickled carrots.
- ENJOY!
RELATED:
NOTES
- The pickled carrots are simply shredded carrots covered with boiling water for 30 seconds and drained. They are seasoned with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
- In the video, we shortened the steps of seasoning the pork for the time allowed.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: