serves
4
prep
30 minutes
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 boneless center-cut pork shoulder (about 900g / 2 lb total), sliced across the grain into 5-6mm / ¼ inch steaks
Adobo
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- Coarse salt
- 1½ tsp cumin seed
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 pequin chiles (optional)
- 1-2 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then skinned (scrape off the flesh with a knife)
- 1-2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
- Juice of ½-1 lime
- Juice of ½ orange
For serving
- 8 fresh corn tortillas
- Fresh
- Sliced avocado
- Diced white onion
- Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
- Lime wedges
Soaking time: 20 minutes
Instructions
- Make the adobo: Preferably using a molcajete (Mexican lava stone mortar and pestle), begin by crushing half the garlic cloves with a sprinkle of salt. Add the remaining garlic cloves and continue to mash. Add the pequins, if using (they are hot!), as well as the guajillo and ancho chiles. Thin the adobo with the lime and orange juices.
- Lay the pork slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Paint them with the adobo on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to high. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the pork in a single layer on the grate and grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until sizzling and browned. Remove from the grill and let the meat rest on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan.
- Warm the tortillas on the grill grate for 15 seconds or so; do not toast.
- Slice the steaks crosswise into strips. To serve, pile the meat on a warm tortilla and top with any or all of the condiments suggested above.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
