I love them both!!! Both Al Pastor and Carnitas are made with pork but the difference lies in the preparation and seasonings.Ĭarnitas is made with pork shoulder and is Mexico’s version of pulled pork. What is the Difference Between Al Pastor and Carnitas? Pork shoulder is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat and layered with enough fat that when marinated and cooked on high heat, it emerges tender and juicy. What kind of meat is al pastor?Īl Pastor is traditionally spit-roasted pork but for our homemade Al Pastor we are going to use boneless pork shoulder. The citizens of Mexico developed their own guajillo chille marinade with its signature tangy chile flavor and applied it to pork instead of lamb or other meats. The “pastor” in Al Pastor is the name given to the Lebanese merchants who brought the concept of shawarma with them. As the rotisserie rotates, the outside cooks and thin pieces are continually shaved off. These immigrants cooked their thin cuts of meat stacked together in a cone-like shape on a vertical spit-grill, known as shawarma (one of my favs, coming soon!), much like Greek gyros. I am always fascinated by the origins of popular “authentic” food so I was surprised to learn the concept for Al Pastor was brought to Central Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the early 1900s. The Al Pastor is sliced off the spit-grilled meat to-order in thin slices accompanied by chunks of fresh pineapple. The outside edges of the pork become beautifully crisp and caramelized while the inside remains splendidly juicy. If you aren’t familiar with Al Pastor, (meaning “shepherd style” in Spanish), it is a popular pork dish in Central America in which pork is marinated in pineapple, chilies and spices then stacked and vertically roasted on a slowly turning spit with a pineapple on top which bathes the pork with its juices. I hope this Al Pastor recipe joins the ranks of my Mexican Chicken, Salsa Verde Chicken, Carnitas, Chipotle Pork, Carne Asada, Beef Barbacoa and Chipotle Chicken as one of your favorite new Mexican protein staples. In fact, he had three teenage boys from our church youth group over to our house to eat the leftovers that night – and they ate ALL of it. He loved the Al Pastor as it was coming off the grill, he loved it as it was barely warm after photos and he loved it reheated the same night. My foodie critic husband (who loves Mexican food even more than me – which is barely possible) would agree. The combination of smoky, tangy, chile pork, with grilled pineapple is 1000X crave worthy so I knew I was up for a challenge to create a traditional al pastor tasting recipe that was homemade BUT, I think we have done just that and I can honestly say this is arguably one of the best homemade Al Pastor recipe out there. When we go out, I usually order it in some form or another from authentic Tacos Al Pastor to Ada Haba Pina California Burrito (burrito with Al Pastor, pineapple, French fries, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, etc.) to Al Pastor Nachos. Serve on a platter and let guests feed themselves, passing the tortillas and garnishes.I recently shared in my Al Pastor Kabobs post, that I am obsessed with Al Pastor. Warm the corn tortillas on a comal or nonstick skillet and place in a dishcloth to keep warm. Scrape out the pan once more and cook the pineapple until soft and charred in spots. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining steaks, scraping the pan well to remove any burned bits between frying. Both sides should have dark-brown charred spots if they don't, raise the heat higher. Cook until the meat starts to release its juices and lighten slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. The meat should sizzle and smoke, so make sure you have a working fan and vent on your stove. When smoking, add one piece of marinated steak. Heat a large heavy skillet to high heat and add 1 teaspoon lard. The next day, prepare the garnishes: Chop the pineapple, slice the limes into wedges, prepare the salsa, and chop the cilantro and onion. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss to coat. Crumble the achiote paste into the blender and add the vinegar, cumin seed, peanuts and bay leaf along with the cinnamon stick, cloves and allspice. Peel the garlic and place both items in a blender jar. Cook until soft and blackened in spots, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add the onion wedge and garlic, placing the garlic near the edge, away from direct heat. Heat a comal or nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. The day before you plan to eat, place the pork in a large bowl and toss with the lime juice and salt.
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