Al Pastor Taco Kit: The Mexican Street Food Original | Chile Mojo

Forget the kits. This is 1.5kg of pork transformed into charred, adobo-glazed street food gold, hacked for your BBQ, Smoker or Oven.

A Century of Tradition. Most people think Al Pastor is just "pineapple pork." They’re wrong. It’s actually a 100-year-old immigrant success story. In the 1920s, Lebanese migrants arrived in Puebla, Mexico, bringing their vertical Shawarma spits with them. The locals took that Middle Eastern technique, swapped lamb for pork, and traded Mediterranean spices for the deep, earthy heat of Achiote and Guajillo chiles.

The result? The Trompo. The King of Tacos. But at home you don’t need a 20kg rotating spit to get this right. You just need authentic adobo from this trio of Mexican Dried Chile and the right amount of heat.

Bin the yellow-box kits. This is 1.5kg of pork transformed into charred, pineapple-glazed street food gold. No vertical spit? No worries, we’ve got the hack to get that CDMX crunch in your own backyard.

What’s Inside the Bundle

Component	Quantity	The Chef’s Reason
Dried Guajillo Chiles	50g	Provides the iconic deep-red lacquer and smooth sweetness.
Dried Ancho Chiles	30g	For dark, raisin-like depth and richness.
Dried Chipotle Morita	15g	Adds that "off the spit" smoky layer.
El Yucateco Achiote	100g Box	The earthy, neon-red soul of the dish. (Use 50g per 1.5kg).
"Trompo" Spice Pouch	30g	Our proprietary blend: Mexican Oregano, Toasted Cumin, Clove, and Citrus notes.

Master Recipe: 1.5kg Pork Shoulder

Prep Time: 20 mins | Marinate: 12–24 hours | Cook Time: 15 mins

The Adobo Marinade

De-seed and quickly toast your Guajillo, Ancho, and Morita chiles in a dry pan until fragrant (approx. 45 seconds). Do not burn them or they turn bitter. Soak in 500ml hot water for 5 mins.
Into a blender, toss the soaked chiles, HALF the Achiote brick (50g), the entire Spice Pouch, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, (Hack - if using tinned pineapple use the juice then put the tin in the fridge overnight so it dries out) 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 fresh garlic cloves, and 2 tsp salt.
Blend until it’s a smooth, thick paste. If it doesn't look like vibrant red paint, keep blending.

Marinade overnight

Slice 1.5kg Pork Shoulder thinly (5-7mm) across the grain. A little thicker than a minute steak. Chef Hack: Leave in freezer for 30-45 mins prior to slicing to firm up a little.

Massage the adobo into every single slice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. 24 hours is the sweet spot—let the pineapple enzymes do their work tenderising the pork.

To Cook

We have tried and mastered the at home Trompo technique, so you dont have to: all 3 options work great ranked from most authentic to most convenient.

The "Home Trompo" (Oven or BBQ) Don’t have a 20kg vertical rotisserie? Build one.

Take a thick, 2-inch slice of peeled fresh pineapple as your base.Drive a bamboo skewers or wooden chopstick vertically into the pineapple core.
Thread your thinly sliced, marinated pork onto the skewer, stacking it high into a tower. Top it with another pineapple slice. Once you have your stack reinforce with another couple of vertical skewers about an inch apart.
Place it on a tray in the oven (move your racks!). Roast until the edges are crispy and charred, then carve it vertically just like a CDMX street vendor, making sure to remove the skewers at the end.

The Master Smoker Hack (190°C+) This is how you get that 360-degree street-food char without a 20kg commercial spit.

Crank your BBQ or Smoker to 190°C - 200°C (lid down). We want high-heat aggression, not "low and slow."
Drive a bamboo skewers or wooden chopstick vertically into the pineapple core.
Thread your thinly sliced, marinated pork onto the skewer, stacking it high into a tower. Top it with another pineapple slice. Once you have your stack reinforce with another couple of vertical skewers about an inch apart.
Place your "Home Trompo" directly on the wire rack of the smoker.
Slide a tray underneath the rack to catch the "Liquid Gold"—the rendered pork fat, adobo, and pineapple juice. Place another slice of pineapple on top of the stack. When it’s deeply caramelised and the meat is charred, take it off.
Carve the meat vertically directly into the tray of juices. Chop the grilled pineapple topper into the mix.

The Skillet "Quick Char" Hack In a rush? Use a heavy cast-iron skillet or BBQ flat plate.

Get it searing hot with a splash of oil.
Fry the pork in small batches. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will stew in its own juices and turn grey. You want blackened, crispy edges.
Toss in fresh pineapple chunks at the very end. Let them hit the hot metal for 60 seconds to get a quick caramelised char before serving.

All work great and give that authentic street food flavour of Adobo Glazed Al Pastor Tacos.

To Serve

Heat your Corn or flour Tortillas. Top with the the cooked pork, charred pineapple, finely diced white onion, and fresh coriander.

Shopping List

1.5kg Pork Shoulder: Friendly butcher? Ask for it sliced (3-4mm).

1 Fresh Pineapple or large tin of pineapple if fresh not available.

1 White Onion: To be finely diced.

1 Bunch Fresh Coriander: Don't be shy with it.

3-4 Fresh Limes: Essential for that final acidic hit.

3 Fresh Garlic Cloves: To be crushed into your marinade.

1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice (or substitute a half a cup of fresh pineapple and 1/4 cup of reserved water from soaked Chiles)

1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar.

Achiote Paste

Achiote paste - El Yucateco 1kg

Achiote paste - El Yucateco 100gm

Achiote liquid condiment - El Yucateco 300ml

La Fundidora Cooking Sauce - Annatto 340gm

Sazon Goya Seasoning Culantro and Achiote 40gm (8 sachets)

Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning - Culantro & Achiote 8oz (225gm)

Annatto powder

Al Pastor Taco Kit - Chile Mojo - 225g

Goya Annatto seeds 2.6oz. (73.71gm)

Annatto seeds