After a few days of heavy carb filled holiday meals, it’s nice to have something a little more refreshing. Tacos are – of course – always a favourite. They’re comfort food, but bright and refreshing at the same time.

Typically when I make tacos, I will use homemade corn tortillas for a spicy tender beef Carnita. This time, I took a new route. This was my first swing at flour tortillas. I got the recipe from a close friend, Jamie Deveaux at The Slow Braise. You can get his recipe here.

Based on a conversation with my brother-in-law, I also took my first attempt at Pork Al Pastor. As always, with first attempts, there were lots to learning opportunities with this recipe. I can not technically call these tacos Al Pastor… As Al Pastor tacos have been thinly sliced and grilled quickly over high heat. So, I will say the seasonings and flavor on this recipe are inspired by Al Pastor. I’ll try these again over a grill when the windchill doesn’t drag the temperatures down to a frigid -21 celsius.

I served the Pork & Pineapple Tacos with a bright, fresh homemade salsa, sour cream, fresh pineapple wedges, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Pork & Pineapple Taco Recipe: 

1.5 Lbs Pork Shoulder
1-2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
3-4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
1 Teaspoon of Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of White Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
2 Jalapenos (Diced)
1 Cup of Pineapple (Chopped)
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Sea Salt (To Taste)

For Serving: 

Warm Flour Tortillas
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Salsa
Sour Cream
Lime Wedges
Pineapple Slices

Equipment Needs:

Food Processor
Frying Pan

Instructions for Pork & Pineapple Tacos: 

1: Cut the skin off of your pork shoulder, then carve up into small 1/4 inch cubes. Set aside.

2: Preheat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Slide in minced garlic and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add diced jalapenos, cloves, pepper, oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Saute for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

3: Drop in your pineapple and white vinegar. As you stir, your spices and garlic should all stick to the pineapple. After pineapple has softened up, carefully ladle your spice mixture into a food processor and blend on high. Allow marinade to cool.

4: Once your marinade has cooled, mix it with your diced pork in a freezer bag. Allow to marinade for as long as possible (overnight would be best).

5: Preheat oil over medium-high heat on the stove. In batches, stirfry your pork until slightly crispy, and fat has rendered off.

6: Slice up fresh pineapple into thin matchsticks. Serve tacos with fresh salsa, cilantro, lime wedges, fresh pineapple, sour cream, and additional jalapenos.

Enjoy!