Free Recipe · From This Week
Skillet · 55 Minutes
Al Pastor Tacos
Achiote Jackfruit · Charred Pineapple · Fresh Corn Tortillas
From this week's plan - shredded young jackfruit in a smoky red guajillo, achiote and pineapple marinade, seared until the edges char, piled on fresh homemade corn tortillas with charred pineapple, white onion and cilantro
What Matters
Measure carefully and make every ball the same size - if you don't measure, you're guessing. Use warm water, about 95°F: like a warm shower, not hot, not cold.
The masa should feel like soft play dough - smooth, soft, slightly tacky, never sticky or crumbly - and it always stays covered, because if air hits it, it dries and cracks.
Stay one day ahead if you can: masa rested overnight is softer and puffs better. Squeeze the jackfruit dry and sear it in batches so it chars instead of steaming.
🌮 Chef Note - Squeeze the Jackfruit, Then Let It Char
Canned jackfruit comes packed in brine and it holds a lot of water. Rinse it, squeeze it hard in a towel, and pull it into shreds before it ever sees the marinade, or it will taste watery and never brown. Then sear it in a very hot pan and leave it alone long enough for the edges to crisp and blacken. Al pastor is about char and caramelized pineapple. Soft jackfruit is a stew; crisp jackfruit is a taco.
Ingredients
Tortillas
1⅓ cupmasa harina (corn masa flour, not cornmeal)
1 cupplus 1 tbsp warm water, about 95°F - like a warm shower - plus a splash more as needed
Jackfruit
2cans young green jackfruit in brine or water, 20 oz each
Marinade
3dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 tbspachiote paste
½ cuppineapple juice
2 tbspapple cider vinegar
3garlic cloves
1 tspcumin
1 tspdried oregano
1 tspsalt
2 tbspneutral oil, plus more for searing
Pineapple
½fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into half-inch slices
To build
1white onion, diced fine
1 cupcilantro, chopped
2limes
your favorite red salsa or hot sauce
Before You Start
Stay one day ahead - that is how a professional kitchen does it. The night before, 12 to 18 hours ahead, make the masa: pour the warm water into a bowl first, then add the masa harina slowly, mixing until smooth. Divide it into 12 even balls, each about the size of a golf ball, and roll each one smooth - no cracks, no flat sides. Set them on a plate and cover them tightly with plastic wrap so no air touches them, then refrigerate. The overnight rest fully hydrates the masa, which makes the tortillas softer and helps them puff. The jackfruit can sit in its marinade in the fridge overnight too, and the onion and cilantro can be cut. Take the masa out 20 minutes before you cook. Then 5:30 is just pressing, cooking and building - the good part.
Cooking it all today: make the masa first so it can rest. Pour the warm water into a bowl, add the masa harina slowly, and mix and knead 1 to 2 minutes until it is smooth, soft and slightly tacky, like soft play dough. Test it: press a small ball flat between your palms. Smooth edges are perfect. If the edges crack, it is too dry - knead in a splash of warm water. If it sticks to your hands, it is too wet - add a small handful of masa harina. Cover it tightly and let it rest at least 15 minutes while you do everything else.
Toast the guajillo chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20 to 30 seconds a side, just until they smell toasty and turn pliable - any longer and they go bitter. Cover them with hot water and soak 10 minutes.
Drain the jackfruit, rinse it, and cut off the hard triangular core from each piece. Squeeze the pieces firmly in a clean towel to get the water out, then pull them apart with your fingers or two forks into shreds that look like pulled pork. Dice the onion and chop the cilantro.
Method
1
Drain the chiles and blend them with the achiote paste, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and 2 tbsp oil until completely smooth. It should be a deep brick red.
2
Toss the shredded jackfruit with about three quarters of the marinade until every piece is coated. Let it sit 10 minutes while you char the pineapple.
3
Heat a ridged grill pan or an outdoor grill over high - those ridges give the pineapple its dark char lines. Lay the pineapple slices on dry and leave them 2 to 3 minutes a side until they are striped dark and caramelized. A plain cast-iron skillet works too; you get blackened spots instead of lines. Move them to a board and chop them into small pieces.
4
Heat a large cast iron or heavy skillet over high with 1 tbsp oil and spread half the jackfruit in a thin layer. Leave it untouched 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is crisp and dark at the edges, then toss and press it flat again for 2 to 3 minutes more. Move it to a bowl and repeat with the second half, adding oil as needed.
5
Return all the jackfruit to the pan, pour in the rest of the marinade, and toss over the heat 1 minute so it turns glossy. Fold in half the chopped pineapple, season with a squeeze of lime and salt, and keep it warm on low.
6
Press the tortillas: if you made the masa today, divide it into 12 even balls, each about the size of a golf ball, and roll each one smooth, with no cracks or flat sides - a bad ball makes a bad tortilla. Keep them tightly covered so they do not dry out. Cut the sides off a gallon zip-top bag so you have two plastic sheets. Set a ball between the sheets and press it in a tortilla press, or flatten it under the bottom of a heavy skillet, into an even round about 5 inches across and as thin as a coin.
7
Cook the tortillas on a dry comal or cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Peel the plastic off and lay the tortilla in the pan. First side, about 20 seconds, until the surface turns matte and it lets go of the pan. Flip and cook the second side about 20 seconds. Flip once more and give it a light press with a spatula or a folded towel for 5 to 10 seconds - this is where it puffs. The puff is steam filling the space between its two thin layers, and it tells you the masa was hydrated and rested right and the pan was hot enough. A home stove can take a little longer than these times, so go by the matte surface, not the clock. Stack each one in a clean towel as it comes off; the steam in the stack keeps them soft. If it will not puff, the dough is too dry, it needs more rest, or the heat is too low. If it cracks, the dough is too dry. If it sticks, the dough is too wet or you pressed too hard. If it is thick and dense, the ball was too big or pressed unevenly.
8
Build the tacos: a warm tortilla, a pile of jackfruit, the rest of the charred pineapple, diced white onion and cilantro, then lime and salsa at the table.
Done When
✓The tortillas are puffy, soft and flexible with light golden spots and no cracking, the jackfruit is crisp and charred at the edges and glossy with the red marinade, and the pineapple is blackened in spots.
Serve With
Lime wedges, diced white onion, cilantro, red salsa, a side of black beans or a crunchy radish salad.
If You Want to Simplify
Store-bought corn tortillas (check the label is lard-free), warmed 20 seconds a side on a dry hot skillet; canned pineapple rings, patted very dry, instead of fresh; a jar of al pastor marinade from a Mexican market (check it is vegan).
Squeeze it dry, let it char, and press the tortillas yourself. That is taco night.
- CHEF MICHAEL ROSSI
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