← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 3 Dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 50 g Achiote (annatto) paste
• 1 chipotle chilli in adobo
• 120 ml orange or pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp Cider vinegar
• 4 cloves Garlic
• ½ tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 pinch Cinnamon
• 1½ tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
• 900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into slices about 5 mm thick
• ¼ ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced 1 cm thick
• 16 small corn tortillas
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 2 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Toast the guajillos in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, until fragrant, then cover with hot water and soak for 15 min.
2. Drain the chillies and blend with the achiote, chipotle, juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, salt and oil until completely smooth.
3. Rub the marinade all over the pork slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle over high heat. Brush the pineapple with a little oil and char for 2–3 min per side, then chop into small pieces.
5. Add a thin film of oil and sear the pork in batches, without crowding, for 2–3 min per side, until cooked through and caramelised at the edges. Rest for 5 min, then chop finely.
6. Return the chopped pork to the hot pan with half the pineapple and toss for 1 minute so the edges crisp up.
7. Warm the tortillas, then pile on the pork and top with pineapple, onion, coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Tips

• Half-freezing the pork for 30 minutes makes thin slicing much easier.
• Some achiote pastes contain wheat, so check the label for a gluten-free meal.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Pati Jinich Rick Bayless