You may have been to a Mexican restaurant and have seen tacos al pastor on the menu. These are tacos made from pork grilled on a spit. The meat is marinated in chilis, spices and pineapple. You’ll always see fresh pineapple and onion served on top of your tacos al pastor. It’s one of my favorite tacos, the combination of spicy and sweet pairs amazingly. Now, this is my Instant Pot version, so it’s not the authentic way of cooking al pastor pork. Traditionally it is slow cooked, grilled on a spit. Same idea as the lamb cooked for a shawarma in the Lebanese cuisine if you are familiar with that, or even like the meat for a Greek gyro. Al pastor is the Mexican adaptation and it’s served on thin tortillas. In my version, I use a lean cut of pork to make it less fatty, but if you prefer to use a pork roast instead, you totally can. I pressure cook this in the Instant Pot, but if you have a slow cooker you’d like to use, you can slow cook just as if you would any other shredded pork recipe. This marinade is delicious, I tried to use as much of the authentic flavors as possible to make sure it still has its unique flavor that gives it its name. That said, you can’t skip out on the chipotle peppers in adobo, that ingredient is very important in my recipe below. Using fresh pineapple is important too. You can totally get away with using canned, it will just be much sweeter. One final idea, since this is an Instant Pot version and it won’t leave you with the char from a grill like the traditional way, you can choose to give the meat a little broil. Simply spread the shredded meat over a baking sheet, then broil for a couple minutes to crisp up. Otherwise, just skip that suggestion and you will have a juicy, tender and delicious shredded pork.

Marinade Ingredients:

• 7 ½ oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

• ¼ cup fresh pineapple juice

• ⅓ cup fresh pineapple chunks

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• 1 tbsp white vinegar

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• ½ cup orange juice

• 1 lime, juiced

• 4 cloves of garlic

Pork & Instant Pot Ingredients:

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp chili flakes

• 1 cup reserved marinade

• 2-3 pounds of pork tenderloin

• 1 cup cooking liquid: water, chicken broth or juice (orange or apple)

Garnish:

• Red onion, diced

• Cojita cheese, or queso fresco- crumbled

• Fresh pineapple, diced

• Fresh cilantro, chopped

• Jalapeno, sliced

• Lime wedges

Instructions:

1. If you are using a fresh, whole pineapple to create the bowl, first stand it upright and cut one side of it, leaving the green stem full. Another option is to cut it directly down the middle while also cutting the leaves in half. Carve chunks out of the pineapple. Discard the core, save the chunks and juice for the recipe. Set aside until ready to use. Keep wrapped and in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Trim any extra fat off the pork. Tenderloin is very lean, so if you leave some fat it is okay and the flavor will be good. Any excess that’s hanging off can be trimmed. Cut the tenderloin in half, so if you are using two tenderloins, you will now have 4 large pieces. Place in a large, glass bowl or a large Ziplock bag. Set aside.

3. Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Reserve one cup, place in a container and keep in the fridge until ready to cook in the Instant Pot. Pour the rest of the marinade over the pork and let marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight is best. If it’s in the bag, just seal and place in the fridge, if it’s in a bowl, make sure to seal the bowl with plastic wrap then place in the fridge.

4. After the pork is done marinating and you are ready to cook it, let it get to room temperature, about 30 minutes on the counter before cooking. Pour 1 cup of the liquid of your choice on the bottom other the Instant Pot. Add the tenderloin pieces to the pot, discard any extra marinade from the bowl or bag. Pour 1 cup of the reserved, fresh marinade over the meat, then add 2 bay leaves and the chili flakes.

5. Lock the lid into place, make sure the valve is turned to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Then, let sit to naturally release pressure for about 20 minutes, then do a quick release if needed before unlocking the lid.

6. Use two forks to shred the meat. Use the shredded meat in tacos or serve over rice. Use the recommended garnishes on your al pastor tacos or your rice bowl.

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