Al Pastor Ham

Servings

6 to 8

Prep Time

24 hours

Cook Time

3 hours

Mexico City is a yearly pilgrimage I take to experience my culture and food, especially tacos. Al pastor is a traditional Mexican dish made with pork seasoned with chiles, oregano, cumin and achiote. I have always loved the orange red color achiote paste adds to meat. Pineapple and onion are other key ingredients and the flavor combo of them caramelizing together is amazing.

In Mexico, you’ll see al pastor cooked on a trompo, similar to the vertical grill you might see at a shawarma or gyros shop. That’s because the concept was introduced to Mexico from Lebanese immigrants. Al pastor originated from two cultures fusing together to create something delicious.

Author:

Pedro Martinez

Ingredients

1 Kurobuta whole boneless ham
8 guajillo chiles, seeds removed
3 fresh bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
1 small onion
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo
1 teaspoons chicken base
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
8 ounces crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons achiote paste

Directions

Oil a sauté pan with neutral oil. Sauté the guajillo chiles, bay leaves, garlic, onion on medium till golden and fragrant.
Add cumin, peppercorn, allspice & cook for another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients except pineapple & achiote. Cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
Uncover and cool slightly. Place all ingredients in Vitamix and blend until smooth.
Pass through fine mesh sieve.
Thaw ham completely. A large bone-in ham can take 3 to 4 days to thaw, so plan in advance.
The day before you plan to cook the ham: Score (make shallow cuts) the ham with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern, about 1” apart. Liberally brush the scored ham with al pastor sauce and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Allow 12 to 24 hours for the sauce to rest on the ham.
To prepare the ham, heat oven to 325°F.
Place ham, fat side up in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. If cooking a half ham, place the flat side down.
Bake the ham until its internal temperature reaches 140°F. Pull from the oven. For a half bone-in ham, it took about two hours. Don’t overcook!
Remove ham and allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes.
Slice and serve with extra al pastor sauce. Place sliced ham on a platter. Garnish with fresh bay thin slices of pineapple, if desired.