carrots al pastor
No vegetable is ever going to replace delicious pineapple-y pork shaved off a trompo, but these are their own separate, delicious thing inspired by the faux al pastor I make at home (sans spit). If your carrots aren’t small, halve them lengthwise (or quarter them) and cut into 4-inch pieces. This dish works great on it’s own as a side dish, as the star of a burrito bowl, or my personal favorite, as the star of teensy street tacos.
yield 4 servings
carrots
6 dried guajillo/cascabel chilies, stems and seeds removed
4 dried arbol chilies, stems and seeds removed
1 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 T dried Mexican oregano
1/2 large white onion, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 pineapple peeled, cored and roughly chopped, about 2 1/2 cups
3 T adobo sauce and 2-3 chipotles (from adobo sauce)
2 lbs small carrots, peeled
optional toppings and assembly
2 tomatillos, husked and finely diced
1/4 large white onion, finely diced
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
queso fresco, crumbled
lime wedges, for serving
corn tortillas, for serving
recipe prep
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Toast guajillo and arbol chilies in a cast iron (or heavy-bottomed) skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally until they are blackened in spots and smell fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and place toasted chilies in the hot water (if needed, put a small plate on top of the chilies to keep them submerged). Let chilies soak 15-30 minutes while you gather your other ingredients. Don’t discard the soaking liquid!
Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the carrots to the bowl of a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add re-hydrated chilies and 6 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (4 teaspoons if Morton’s) and blend. Use the chili soaking liquid to thin the mixture out as needed - it should be loose like salsa. Combine carrots and marinade, cover and chill for 24 hours or up to 5 days.
Preheat oven to 450F. On the stove, heat a large cast iron or heavy bottomed, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat (you may need to work in batches or use two pans to get them all done in one go). Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil to the pan. When oil is hot and shimmery, put carrots in the pan in a single layer (don’t shake off too much of the marinade because it will help build a delicious crust) and let them roast, untouched, for 5 minutes or until they are roasty and blackened in spots on the bottom.
Flip carrots and transfer to the oven for 10 minutes or until desired tenderness. Serve with any/all toppings and warm corn tortillas or however you like!
