Cooking with Fire: Al pastor tacos with the Addison Fire Protection District
ADDISON, Ill. - This morning we're Cooking with Fire at the Addison Fire Protection District, making al pastor tacos with firefighter Steven Marks.
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 pineapple sliced into wedges
Marinade
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic diced
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 2-3 dried ancho Chile peppers
- 2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce (add about a tbsp of adobo sauce from can)
- 2 Tbsp of achiote powder or paste
- 1.5 Tbsp of cumin
- 1.5 Tbsp of Mexican oregano
- 1.5 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- ½ Cup of White Vinegar
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic with the butter, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, ancho chili peppers, and chipotle chili peppers with adobo sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, cooking for 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the achiote paste or powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, sugar and vinegar. Simmer the marinade for 4-5 more minutes.
Turn off the heat. Carefully remove the stems from the ancho chili peppers and place in a blender jar. Transfer the remaining contents of the pan to the blender jar once cooled, (you can add ice to the marinade to help cool it and thin it out a little bit), close the lid, and blend until completely smooth.
Place your chicken thighs in a large bowl or gallon-sized zip top bag. Pour the cooled marinade over the chicken and massage everything together to thoroughly coat each piece of chicken. Cover with plastic wrap or seal tightly in the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven or smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using a vertical skewer, slide the meat onto the skewer one piece at a time, keeping the meat even around the edges and sides, so there aren't any large pieces of meat overhanging any other.
Place the assembled al pastor meat on the grill grates and close the lid. Smoke for about 5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest portion reads 170 degrees F. If using a vertical skewer, baste the outside of the meat with the drippings from the pan every 30 minutes during the cooking process. During the last 30 minutes of smoking, place the pineapple wedges on the grill next to the al pastor. Close the lid and cook, flipping once after 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken al pastor and the pineapple from the smoker. Top the al pastor skewer with the pineapple top and chop up the grilled pineapple. Slice the al pastor from the spit with a sharp knife, using a light sawing motion to remove small, bite-sized pieces. Place the meat and pineapple in taco shells and top with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of fresh lime.