Homemade Tacos Al Pastor

Ingredients

• For the pork:
• 2 whole ancho chilies, seeds and stems removed
• 2 whole pasilla or guajillo chilies, seeds and stems removed
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried ground cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon achiote powder or paste
• 1 chipotle chili packed in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons sauce from can
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 pounds boneless blade-end loin or sirloin pork roast
• 8 ounces sliced bacon
• To Finish and Serve:
• 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters lengthwise
• 32 to 48 corn tortillas, heated and kept warm
• 1 medium white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely minced fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 cup basic salsa verde or your favorite salsa
• 3 to 4 limes, cut into 8 wedges each for serving

Directions

1. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chilies, and toast them, turning now and then, until they smell deeply fragrant and have puffed, softened, and picked up a few browned patches, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock; it should come to a boil right away. Tip everything into a small bowl, tent it loosely, and leave it alone for now.
2. Clean out the saucepan, pour in the oil, and put it back over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, stir in the cumin, oregano, and achiote; cook, stirring often, just until fragrant and not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chipotle chilies and sauce, and cook for about 30 seconds more, until their aroma blooms. Mix in the vinegar, salt, and sugar, then take the pan off the heat.
3. Transfer the saucepan mixture to a blender. Add the garlic, plus the soaked chilies and all of their liquid, and blend on high until the sauce is totally smooth, about 1 minute; stop to scrape the jar if needed. Put the sauce aside so it can cool a bit.
4. Choose a very sharp knife, either a chef's knife or a slicing knife, and cut the pork as thinly as you can. If it is too soft to slice cleanly, move it to the freezer for 15 minutes so it firms. Cut open the seams of a heavy duty zipper-lock bag. Lay 1 slice of pork in the bag, then flatten it with the base of an 8-inch heavy skillet, or use a meat pounder, stopping when it is under 1/4-inch thick. Move it to a large bowl, and do the same with the rest of the pork.
5. Pour the marinade over the pork, then use your hands to turn and separate the slices until each one is coated all over.
6. Put bacon in a disposable aluminum loaf pan to cover the base. Place a layer of marinated pork slices on top, then keep alternating bacon and pork until you have used all the pork. The stack may rise a little higher than the pan, and that is fine. Wrap the pan snugly in plastic and chill for at least 4 hours or as long as 36 hours.
7. For indoor cooking, heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Take the plastic off the aluminum loaf pan and set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet covered with foil. Bake until the pork is fully tender, with plenty of fat rendering out, about 4 hours. Pull it from the oven, let it lose a little heat, cover the pan with aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
8. For outdoor cooking, start 1/2 chimney of charcoal, and wait until the coals are mostly coated in gray ash. Bank them beneath 1 half of the coal grate, then set the cooking grate in position. For a gas grill, turn 1 set of burners to low and keep the rest off. Remove the plastic from the aluminum loaf pan and set it on the cooler side of the grill; add a drip pan below it if you like. Close the grill and cook until the center of the loaf reads 180 to 190 degrees F, about 4 hours. During that time, add charcoal or adjust the burners as needed so the grill stays near 275 degrees F. Take the pan off the grill, let it cool a bit, cover it with aluminum foil, then put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
9. When you are ready to serve, heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lift the cooked pork from the aluminum tray, scraping away any fat or jellied juices clinging to the outside. Spoon the fat and the juices out of the tray, keeping them separate. Use a sharp knife, either a chef's knife or a slicing knife, to shave the pork as thinly as possible so you have fine bits of meat and fat, then put them in a bowl.
10. If the pork fat has firmed up, warm it gently in the microwave or oven until it melts. Set the pineapple pieces on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and brush them with the melted fat. Roast until the pineapple is completely tender, about 25 minutes, then take it out and let it cool a little.
11. About 10 minutes before the pineapple finishes roasting, choose a large skillet, cast iron or non-stick, and add the pork with 1 tablespoon of fat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring from time to time, until the pork turns crisp and develops dark browned spots. Pour in any reserved juices, toss well, and let them reduce into a moist glaze. Move the pork to a warmed serving bowl.
12. Cut the roasted pineapple into large chunks. Bring the pork and pineapple to the table right away with the warm tortillas, onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges. The pork will be quite juicy, so tuck it into double-stacked tortillas.