Grilled Pork Al Pastor

grilling al pastor pork shoulder on a vertical skewer on a pellet grill

Thin slices of pork shoulder soak overnight in a homemade achiote and chile marinade, then stack up on a vertical skewer to cook low and slow on the pellet grill. The result is tender, juicy pork with crispy, caramelized edges - all the flavor of trompo-style al pastor without needing a rotisserie. Skip the pineapple-base trick you've seen online (it collapses mid-cook) and go straight for a vertical skewer stand for the best results. Or skewer your pork slices with regular kabob-style metal skewers. Enjoy!

Prep Time45

Cook Time3 30

Marinating Time6

Total Time10 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: al pastor tacos recipe, al pastor with pork butt, grilled al pastor, grilled al pastor recipe, grilled pork al pastor, pellet grill al pastor

Servings: people

Equipment

vertical skewer stand or metal kabob-style skewers

Ingredients

4-6 lb boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion sliced
2 guajillo chiles deseeded
3 dried ancho peppers deseeded
5 cloves garlic smashed
2 chipotles in adobo
¾ cup canned pineapple juice
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons achiote paste or powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup water

For Al Pastor Tacos:

corn tortillas
½ white onion diced (raw, for topping)
fresh cilantro chopped
lime wedges

Instructions

Debone the pork shoulder if using bone-in. Trim, keeping most of the fat intact and shaping pieces into uniform, roundish cuts. Slice the pork into thin pieces, about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Set the pork slices aside. *See notes.
Heat about 1 tablespoono cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Char the sliced onion until it develops some color, about 4-5 minutes.
Move the onions to the side of the skillet, and add the deseeded dried guajillo and ancho peppers to the skillet. Toast for 1-2 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Then add the smashed garlic cloves and cook another 2 minutes.
To the skillet with the peppers and onions, add the pineapple juice, chipotles in adobo, ground cloves, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, Mexican oregano, achiote paste, and white vinegar. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the peppers have softened.
Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup water if needed to thin it out. Then allow the marinade to cool completely.
Combine the cooled marinade with the sliced pork in a large bowl, making sure every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
Preheat the grill to about 275-300°F. If your grill has a flame broil plate (like a Pit Boss or Lone Star pellet grill), open it about halfway to allow more direct heat.
Place the skewer on the grill and cook for about 3 hours, until the internal temp of the pork reaches 145℉, rotating occasionally. The pork should be tender with crispy and charred edges.
Warm the corn tortillas on the grill while the pork finishes cooking.
Slice the stacked pork slices straight down around the outside of the stack to capture the crispy edge pieces. Build tacos with the warm tortillas, sliced pork, diced raw onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.

Notes

Use canned pineapple juice, not fresh - the enzymes in fresh juice can over-tenderize the meat during a long marinate.
Don't over-trim the fat from the pork; it renders down and adds flavor throughout the cook.
Check that your skewer stand fits under your grill lid before cook day.
Works well on charcoal — just bank the coals around the base of the skewer stand.
For cutting the pork: Keep the majority of the fat on the pork as you trim. However, once you get to the part that looks more like bacon (where the slices are mostly fat), you can discard those, or place them on the grill separately to smoke and save for ham and beans or other recipes.
For charcoal grilling: If you don’t have a pellet grill, charcoal will give you great results with the same setup – just bank your coals around the perimeter of your kettle grill, and place the skewer directly in the middle on the grill grate.
Vertical stand alternative: If you don't have a vertical skewer stand, you can still make this al pastor recipe, just use metal kabob-style skewers instead. Still slice the pork butt thin, and marinate following the same instructions. But instead of stacking the pork pieces flat and vertically, thread the pieces on in an over-under type pattern so that the thin slices are still bunched up together. You should be able to fit about 5-7 slices of pork on each skewer. Bunching up the pieces allows them to cook longer on the grill for more char and grill flavor.

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