Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (2024)

Table of Contents
Why It Works Al Pastor Inspiration Adapting Al Pastor to Skewers Setting Up the Grill July 2019 Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe Ingredients Directions Special Equipment Make-Ahead and Storage Read More

Why It Works

  • Giving al pastor the skewer treatment allows us to achieve the juicy, charred results of a traditional taqueria rotisserie trompo, but on a home grill.
  • A special skewer set-up for a charcoal grill makes it easier and faster to cook the skewers, producing lightly charred pork that is still juicy and tender.
  • The skewers can be enjoyed as-is, or paired with tortillas and accompaniments for traditional tacos.

I've been thinking a lot about grilled skewers lately. It started with a conversation in the Serious Eats office withShoaboutJapanese yakitori, and devolved into me going down a YouTube wormhole, watching hours ofAbruzzese lambarrosticinigrilling videos. Once I finally managed to stop watching meat being packed and portioned inkebab cubes,I decided I wanted to develop a series of grilled meat-on-a-stick recipes.

Before tackling the food, I needed a better solution for at-home skewer-grilling. I ultimately came up withthis low-cost, low-effort rig, which mimics the set-up of real-deal kebab cooking by bringing the food much closer to the coals, and does away with the traditional grill grate used in most recipes. Positioning the skewers closer to the heat shortens the time lag between outer browning and inner heat penetration, yielding more evenly cooked food. But it also forces the cook to pay more attention to the grilling process; flare-ups need to be managed by moving the skewers away from flames as needed, and the skewers need to be turned more frequently to prevent ingredients from charring to a crisp.

Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (1)

Al Pastor Inspiration

During initial rounds of testing this set-up, the constant turning of skewers got me thinking of how the process is just a miniaturized version of large-format rotisserie cooking, like porchetta and roast chicken. Maybe I couldHoney, I Shrunk The Kidsone of those dishes that don't easily translate to home cooking. And that's how I decided to skewer-ify one of the best things to ever get cooked on a rotating spit: Mexicanal pastor.

Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (2)

Lucky for me, Kenji had already taken care of the hard work when he developed hisawesome at-home version of tacos al pastora few years ago. His al pastor does away with the rotisserie-cooking component, cleverly packing slices of marinated pork into a loaf pan, slow-roasting them, and then crisping them in a hot skillet. In adapting his recipe to make skewers, I was able to do away with the two-step cooking process.

Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (3)

Adapting Al Pastor to Skewers

Both versions use the same marinade, but for the skewers, I switch up the pork slightly, doing away with the bacon that can cause excessive grill flare-ups, and slicingpork buttinto strips that are better-suited for threading onto a stick. After marinating them overnight, I thread the pork pieces onto skewers, bunching each piece up tight. This helps mimic the contrasting textural effect that you get with al pastor cooked on a traditionaltromporotisserie—crispy in some spots and tender in others. Spearing pieces of fresh pineapple between the slices of pork provides that trademark juicy, sweet-and-sour contrast to the spicy, crispy, fatty meat. Make sure that the pork and pineapple pieces are packed tightly together to prevent the skewer from burning and breaking during cooking; the only parts of the skewers that should be exposed are a two-inch handle at the bottom, and just the very tip at the top.

Setting Up the Grill

Once you finish assembling the skewers, all you have to do is set up the grill with foil-wrapped bricks for cooking. For these skewers, I prefer cooking them right over the coals without a wire rack underneath them, which more closely approximates the rotisserie cooking of real-deal al pastor.

Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (4)

Perch the skewers over the coals, balancing them on the bricks and turn them frequently as they cook, managing any flare-ups caused by dripping fat. In about 10 minutes, the pork and pineapple will be lightly charred, and the meat cooked through. From there, it's your call whether to serve them straight-up with some lime wedges as cookout kebabs, or de-stick the juicy pork and pineapple and stuff them into tortillas for a grilled taco party. You win at summer grilling either way.

July 2019

Recipe Details

Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe

Prep40 mins

Cook40 mins

Active60 mins

Marinating Time4 hrs

Total5 hrs 20 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Pork:

  • 2 ancho chiles (40g), stemmed and seeded

  • 2 pasilla or guajillo chiles (15g), stemmed and seeded

  • 1/2 cup (120ml)homemadechicken stock or low-sodium store-bought broth

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon (2g) dried Mexican oregano

  • 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cumin

  • 1 tablespoon (12g) achiote powder or paste

  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo (15g), plus 2 teaspoons (10ml) adobo sauce

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) distilled white vinegar

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons (10g) kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons (10g) sugar

  • 3 medium garlic cloves (15g)

  • 2 pounds (900g)pork butt, in one piece

For the Skewers and Serving:

  • 1 small pineapple (around 2 pounds; 900g), peeled, cored, and cut into 1- by 1/4-inch pieces

  • Lime wedges, for serving

  • Finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (optional)

  • Salsa verde, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. For the Pork: In a large, dry saucepan, toast ancho and pasilla chiles over medium-high heat, turning chiles occasionally, until puffed, pliable, lightly browned in spots, and very aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock (it should boil immediately), then pour contents of saucepan into a small heatproof bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside.

  2. Wipe out saucepan, add oil, and return to medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Add oregano, cumin, and achiote and cook, stirring frequently, until spices are bloomed and aromatic but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in chipotle and adobo sauce and cook for 30 seconds longer. Stir in vinegar, salt, and sugar, and remove saucepan from heat.

  3. Transfer contents of saucepan to a blender along with garlic and chiles with their steeping liquid. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, scraping down sides of blender jar with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute. Set aside.

  4. Freeze pork for 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes (partially freezing the pork makes it easier to slice). Using a sharp chef's knife or slicing knife, slice pork against the grain into 2-inch-long, 1-inch-wide, and 1/8-inch-thick strips. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to start by portioning the pork butt into 2-inch-wide by 1-inch-thick pieces, and then slicing those pieces crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick strips.

  5. Combine pork and marinade in a large bowl, and using hands, toss until every piece of meat is evenly coated in marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 36 hours.

  6. For the Skewers and Serving: Thread one piece of pork onto a skewer, piercing it through twice to secure it, then bunching meat tightly together like an accordion. Then thread one piece of pineapple onto skewer. Continue alternating pieces of pork with pineapple, ending the skewer with a piece of pork. Make sure meat and pineapple are bunched tightly together, leaving no parts of the skewer exposed except for a 2-inch handle at the bottom, and the pointy tip at the top. Repeat skewering process with remaining pork and pineapple.

  7. Set up grill for skewers, making sure to adjust distance between bricks to the length of your skewers. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly in the channel between the bricks.

    Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (6)

  8. Place skewers directly over the hot coals, balancing them on top of the bricks, with the handles overhanging the bricks closest to you, and the tips balancing on the farther wall of bricks. Cook, turning frequently, until pork and pineapple are lightly charred, and a piece of pork looks cooked through when removed and cut in half, 8 to 10 minutes; if flare-ups occur, move the skewers around as needed to get them away from the flames. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges, as well as cilantro and salsa (if using), at the table.

    Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (7)

Special Equipment

Blender, charcoal grill, chimney starter

Make-Ahead and Storage

The grilled skewers are best enjoyed immediately. The marinade can be made in advance, and refrigerated for up to three days. The pork can be marinated for up to 36 hours.

Read More

  • How to Set Up Your Grill for Better Skewers, Kebabs, and Yakitori
  • How to Get Started Grilling
  • Grilled Pork
  • Labor Day
  • Pork
  • Mexican
  • Pineapple
Charcoal-Grilled Al Pastor Skewers Recipe (2024)
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