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Al Pastor Kabobs 

These Al Pastor Kabobs are bursting with restaurant-style flavor from your very own grill!  Mouthfuls of juicy, sweet chile pork, caramelized pineapple, charred bell peppers and onions with a killer marinade that doubles as the irresistible dunking sauce.  You can prep and ASSEMBLE these kabobs ahead of time for stress free homerun entertaining and 4th of July celebrating!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 kabobs

Ingredients

Skewers

  • 1 1/2 - 2 pounds pork tenderloin cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 pineapple cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
  • 1 large onion sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil divided

Marinade/Sauce

Instructions

Chiles

  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add guajillo chiles and toast until blistered in spots and fragrant, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer peppers to a cutting board. Once cool, cut tops off chiles, cut in half and remove seeds, taking care not to touch your eyes. Add chiles back to skillet and cover with water. Simmer 3-5 minutes until softened.

Marinade

  • Remove softened chilies to blender along with all Marinade ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Add pork to a shallow dish or freezer size bag. Add 1 cup marinade and 3 tablespoons olive oil, stir to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-6 hours.
  • Add pineapple, bell peppers and onions to a separate bowl. Add ¼ cup marinade and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate. (You can prep veggies at any point – they don’t have to marinate.) Refrigerate remaining marinade separately.

Assemble

  • NOTE: Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before grilling or broiling.
  • When ready to cook, thread pork, pineapple, bell peppers and onions onto skewers. Dab off excess marinade from pork so it can char.

Grill

  • Grease and preheat grill to high heat. Grill skewers until lightly charred all over, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. You can check a pork cube for doneness if desired. Don't overcook or they won't be as juicy but make sure they are charred and you don't have wet marinade.
  • Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve with reserved Marinade as a Dip.

Notes

  • Kabobs aren't spicy.  Although the marinade will taste a little spicy, the kabobs themselves aren't spicy - just flavorful.
  • Fresh Pineapple.  I don't suggest canned pineapple as  it falls apart more easily on the grill and is so wet it has a hard time charring.
  • Don’t cut pork too small:  Cut your pork into 1 1/2 inch cubes in order to keep them juicy.  Avoid cutting the pork too small or it can easily overcook. Lastly, try and chop your pork roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
  • CANNED Pineapple Juice.  Please use only CANNED pineapple juice!  Canned pineapple juice will infuse your pork with flavor without leaving it mushy if it’s not marinated too long.  Fresh pineapple juice still contains enzymes that could break down your pork and more likely to leave it mushy in a short amount of time.
  • What are Guajillo chiles?  The Guajillo chile is one of the holy trinity of chiles commonly used in Mexican cuisine and is essential to authentic Al Pastor.   Dried Guajillo chilies can be found at any Mexican market as well as many grocery stores (and almost all super Walmarts) in either the Mexican aisle or produce section.  Many produce stores such as Sprouts and Whole Foods also carry packages of dried Guajillo chilies.  If you can't find them or simply want a one-click option, then you can Amazon-it.
  • Handle Guajillo chilies with care.  After you remove the seeds from your dried Guajillo chiles, immediately wash your hands.  Take care not to touch your eyes while you are working with them!
  • What is Achiote Paste?  This spice paste is made from the annato seed that gives the Al Pastor its traditional bright red-orange color as well as oregano, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, garlic and salt.  It is slightly sweet, peppery, nutty and smoky.  You can find it in any Mexican market or you can Amazon-it.
  • Achiote Paste Substitute:  (will not provide the authentic red color)
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
    • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • Assemble Ahead of Time. Due to the thick nature of the marinade, you can assemble the skewers ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.  I would suggest marinating the pork for at least 2 hours then you can assemble and refrigerate any time after that - of course the longer they are allowed to marinate the better.  The only catch is you have to use metal skewers because wooden skewers will dry out (even if they have been soaked) and catch fire.
  • Dip for more heat.  Al Pastor is tangy, sweet and smoky but not spicy.   I love to use some of the marinade as a dip for additional heat and flavor.