Tacos Al Pastor

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 4 ounces about 8 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 cups water
• 3 -4 roasted plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped or 3/4 cup chopped canned tomato
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 lbs lamb stew meat, trimmed and cubed or 3 lbs cubed lamb cushion meat
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon toasted dried mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon lightly toasted ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (optional) or 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves (optional)
• 4 whole bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar or 1/8 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• corn tortilla
• chopped green onion
• guacamole
• salsa fresca
• lime wedge

Recipe

• 1 toast chiles on a skillet or comal or in a hot oven (425°f) until darkened slightly but not burned. (on a skillet this takes just seconds- as soon as they release their perfume).
• 2 bring water to a boil, add toasted chiles, stir well and remove from heat. soak chiles for 15 to 20 minutes, drain and reserve water. puree chiles in a blender with a little of the water and the tomatoes.
• 3 heat oil in a 4 to 5 quart saucepan or in a pressure cooker. brown meat a little at a time, remove, and reserve cooked pieces.
• 4 add onions and then garlic and cook until onion is softened and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. add oregano, cumin, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper along with chile-tomato puree and fry for one additional minute, stirring constantly.
• 5 return browned lamb to the pan and add vinegar, pineapple juice, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of reserved chile soaking water.
• 6 bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 35 minutes, at 15 pounds in the pressure cooker. (note: if using a regular pan, cook covered on low heat for about 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender. you may need to add water during the cooking process to prevent burning.).
• 7 strain the sauce from the meat and cook longer, if needed, to thicken.
• 8 to serve, shred meat and place in soft corn tortillas. garnish with chopped green onions and serve with guacamole, some of the reserved sauce, salsa fresca, and lime wedges.