Al Pastor was invented in Mexico city as a result of Lebanese immigration - it was basically a Mexican take on Shawarma.
I make an al pastor using country style ribs and sous vide, followed by some time in the refrigerator and then finished in the oven. there are a lot of steps, but not all that much hands on cooking time. Homemade tortillas make the whole thing at least one million times better, especially with a decent masa. Sadly, I took the pic before i had really caught on to how good the homemade tortillas are.
rub per 2 lbs pork:
2 T chile powder
3 T achiote powder
1 t garlic power
1 t onion powder
1 t thyme
1 can crushed pineapple, drained.
cut pork into 1 inch chunks. toss with rub to evenly coat. vacuum seal and sous vide at 165 F for 24-36 hours. drain, reserving liquid. remove pork from bag. chill pork uncovered in refrigerator on rack for 12-24 hours.
to serve:
reduce reserved liquid to syrup consistency.
while reducing liquid:
heat oven to 450.
transfer pork to large bowl, and add drained pineapple. mix and then put in oven on sheet pan (line with aluminum file to make clean-up easier) . cook 20 min, then turn broiler to high and broil until the food shows a bit of charring.
if you have a searzall or a torch, you can use that to touch up the char right before serving.
serve with tortillas, lime slices, cilantro, and green onion.