Haven’t ever heard of tacos al pastor? Neither had I until my husband introduced them to me and now they are one of my favorites! They are made using pork that is seasoned to just the right level of heat and combined with sweet pineapples and a little cilantro and onion for the perfect taco. Typically, the pork is cooked on a large upright rotisserie similar to what Greek gyros or Turkish döner kebab meats are cooked on. I haven’t found too many places in Utah that use this method, but if you are nearby Salt Lake City, Chunga’s tacos al pastor has one of these rotisseries and their tacos al pastor are excellent!    The restaurant is super small, but has an outdoor eating space that is a fun experience.

Although I would love to cook the meat in a upright rotisserie, this recipe  uses a pork loin that is cooked on the stove to simplify it. I have found it works great with leftover pork. Simply lessen the cooking time as the meat is already cooked. Sometimes we will bake a pork loin for a meal one day and then cube the leftovers and make this as another meal later on in the week. I find that these can be a little too spicy for my kids, so I usually leave a little of the pork aside minus the seasoning.

Tacos al Pastor

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (1.5 pound) pork loin cubed into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 onion diced
1 fresh pineapple diced (or 1 can pineapple tidbits drained)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large pan heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add the cubed pork loin and diced onion and cook for 6-7 minutes until the meat starts to turn white and is almost cooked through and onions become translucent. In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Add the seasonings to the pan and stir to coat the meat and onions. Lastly add the diced pineapple and cook to warm through just slightly.  Serve in corn tortillas with diced cilantro and raw onion if desired. Enjoy!