Volcanoes al pastor.
In the north of Mexico, they call this taco 'vampire' because the fried tortilla looks like the wing of a bat. In the south, it is known as volcano ; perhaps because they see more volcanoes than bats. Either way, the brilliant combination of juicy pork and quesillo make these volcano al pastor tacos the best of ideas for a casual spring dinner.
Ingredients for 8 tacos:
- Half a kilo of pork shoulder without skin and without bone
- 7 guajillo chilies, seeded
- 3 morita chilies, seeded
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons of achiote
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 8 corn tortillas of approx. 15cm diameter
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 340 grams quesillo (Oaxaca cheese), coarsely grated
- Chopped white onion
- coarsely chopped coriander
- Lime slices (to accompany)
Preparation:
1.Place the pork shoulder on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and chill, uncovered, until almost frozen, about two hours. With a very sharp knife cut the meat into thin slices (approximately 3 cm thick). Reserve it in a large bowl. In the meantime, put the guajillo and morita chilies and a cup of water in a saucepan medium until boiling. Cover it, remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 30 minutes until the chiles soften.
2. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender. Add the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, achiote paste and salt; beat until smooth. Pour it over the pork, covering it well. Cover it and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate up to 6.
3. Place rack mid-height in oven; preheat to 175°C. Place the tortillas evenly spaced on a tray and bake until lightly toasted and very crisp (the edges should be slightly wrinkled), about 35-45 minutes.
4.Heat a tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over very high heat until smoking. Place about a quarter of the pork in it. , in a single layer; let cook by itself, undisturbed, until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes.
5. Flip over and cook on the other side, until golden brown on the bottom, about three minutes. Transfer to a plate and clean the pan. Repeat the process with the rest of the meat in three batches. Increase oven temperature to 260°C. Spread the pork on the toasts and put the quesillo on top ; bake until cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes. Top with onion and cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.
Report originally published in Bon Appétit.