Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor

So I did my first Facebook Live cooking demo this weekend!!!!

Gah I was so nervous! But it was fun.

I made the most popular recipe on my blog to kick things off: Lemony Raspberry Zucchini Bread with a Lemony Glaze. I figured I would do something that is popular, easy to make, and is a hit seasonally. Gotta use up your bumper crop of zucchini!

Honestly, I’m still really nervous about doing others but I am looking forward to giving another a try. I am aiming at doing another this weekend actually. I’m trying to figure out what to make at this point. Suggestions!?!?

Anyway, here we go again… another Taco Tuesday post!!

For this week’s recipe, I made Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor.

I just love them so much since they are so flavorful. I really like that they are smokey and sweet at the same time. It’s just a great combination of flavors.

Plus, with this case, I made them in the slow cooker. Slow cooker recipes are great for busy schedules. Or just when you don’t feel like really cooking.

The one thing that you don’t get when you use a slow cooker is the traditional char on the meat from the spit. A total bummer, but I solved that by tossing the pork into a skillet with some sauce and cranking the heat up on it. It makes the sauce bubble and reduce. In the process the meat gets some browning. You really want the sauce to cook down at this point so it will caramelize (from the sugars in the pineapple) and give the meat a bit of a texture. It’s worth this extra step at the end.

We just ate these and I am already looking forward to my next batch of Tacos Al Pastor! Can’t have too many of these amazing tacos!

Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor

Makes 16 tacos, 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• 1/2 of a pineapple, chopped (save the remaining pineapple to serve with the tacos)
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 Cup chopped white onion
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablepsoon cayenne powder
• 1 Tablespoon Annatto, optional
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Cup beer, I used Corona (use compliant broth if making this paleo/Whole30)
• 32 corn tortillas
• Serve with with diced pineapple, diced white onion, cilantro leaves, crumbled queso fresco/goat cheese, sliced of avocado, wedge of lime

Process

1. Place the pork shoulder in your slow cooker.
2. In a blender or a food processor, combine the pineapple, chipotles, spices, and beer. Process until completely smooth.
3. Add the sauce to the pork in the slow cooker.
4. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
5. When complete, remove the pork from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board to shred with 2 forks. (There might be pieces of fat to remove at this point as well.)
6. Remove the sauce from the slow cooker and remove the fat  off the top. Chilling of 15 minutes will help this.
7. In batches, saute the pork in a skillet over high heat. Add some sauce and cook down a bit to thicken.
8. Serve in 2 tortillas with desired toppings.