Carlos’s Grilled Chile-Marinated Thin-Cut Pork Soft Tacos

Fit for Company, Cheap Eats, Great Leftovers

SERVES: 6

Carlos P. Hernandez lives in Bakersfield, California, but he comes from the village of Tinguindin in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Before emigrating to California, he expressed his entrepreneurial spirit with a small taco stand that he set up in the center of his village on market days. Soon he garnered a strong local following and a reputation for the best tacos in the area. Today he no longer sells his tacos, but he is the cook when his large family gathers for celebrations, which is often. I was able to get him to share his recipe for marinating thin slices of pork, which he quickly grills and coarsely chops as a filling for warm soft corn tortilla tacos. Carlos’s preferred cut is Boston butt cut into ¼-inch-thick slices, but he confessed that some diet-conscious family members insist that he also marinate leaner boneless pork loin chops.

INGREDIENTS:

RED CHILE PASTE:

• 6 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn
• 1 guajillo chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 10 black peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (I use Mexican)
• 1 tablespoon chopped Mexican chocolate or unsweetened chocolate
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 pounds boneless Boston butt (pork shoulder butt), cut into ¼-inch-thick cutlets

ACCOMPANIMENTS:

• 18 corn tortillas
• Pico de Gallo
• Salsa Verde
• Diced grilled pineapple
• Finely chopped red onion
• Lime wedges
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Tabasco or other hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Paste: Place the chiles in a small bowl and pour boiling water over to cover. Soak for at least 30 minutes, or until the chiles are soft. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid, and place in a blender along with the ginger and garlic.
2. Drop the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves into a spice grinder and pulse to grind to a powder. Add to the blender, along with the cinnamon, oregano, chocolate, vinegar, and salt. Blend to a soft paste, adding some of the chile-soaking liquid if needed.
3. Smear the paste all over the pork slices, transfer to a large zipper-lock bag, and seal. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight, turning and shaking the bag from time to time to redistribute the contents.
4. Set up a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Remove the pork from the bag, but don’t scrape off the marinade paste. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until the meat is just faintly pink on the interior. You may have to cook the meat in batches. Place on a cutting board and chop into ½-inch pieces, then transfer to a large serving bowl.
6. While the meat is cooking, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
7. Let guests make their own tacos with the pork, tortillas, and various accompaniments.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Blade-end pork loin chops; boneless country-style ribs cut lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips; sirloin pork chops; or butterflied and pounded whole pork tenderloin. Take care not to overcook sirloin and tenderloin.

COOK’S NOTES:

• To make the tacos with leaner boneless pork loin chops, cut the meat into ¼-inch-thick slices and grill for 1 minute per side, or until faintly pink but still juicy. Let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before chopping into ½-inch chunks.
• At his taco cart, Carlos would cook his pork stacked on a vertical spit (called al pastor), slicing off pieces as he filled orders. The top of the spit was decorated with a skinned pineapple and, if you requested, he would slice you off a chunk. To replicate this at home, smear ¾-inch-thick slices of fresh pineapple with some of the marinade. Grill the slices and serve with the tacos.