Me at the grill 

Tacos al Pastor

Since we went to a burrito-big-as-your-head kind of place (not that there's anything wrong with that) for Cinco de Mayo the other night I decided to try my hand the next night at Tacos al Pastor, to go for some authentic Mexican eats.

All in all, the results were mighty fine. I found a basic recipe online that would have made about a gallon of marinade, so i reworked proportions for my needs. I very rarely use recipes, but I had no idea what makes a proper version.

My goals for the pork was getting the pink coloring around the edges, the sweet and sour tang, and the bite of pepper. I ate plenty of them in the taco stands and restaurants around Austin when I lived there. The best one I ever had was on the east side from a trailer in a bowling alley parking lot. It was sans the oft-seen pineapple chunks, served with a bright orange habanero salsa and grilled over charcoal.

So for my version, I decided to skip the pineapple and use the grill, but skip the habanero salsa because it’s not really family-friendly. Also, corn tortillas would get swapped for wheat because we have corn allergies in the house. Since I don’t have a giant spit (yet), I decided to give them the kebob treatment.

So, here’s the recipe:
2 pounds of pork, cubed

½ cup Apple cider vinegar

½ cup pineapple juice

3 large garlic cloves

8 dried chile pepper, I used 4 passilla and 2 chipotle, soaked in hot water for ½ an hour.

Pack of tortillas

Cilantro

Onion

Salsa fresca

Put the pork on metal or soaked wood skewers.

Run the vinegar, pineapple juice, garlic and chile peppers through a blender or food processor and pour it over the meat.

Don’t be alarmed by the smell, it seemed like way too much vinegar to the olfactory senses, but it turned out fine.

I let it marinate for about an hour and half and then grilled it up with a couple of bell peppers.

I served it up on the tortillas warmed on the grill with chopped cilantro and onions and the salsa.

It wasn’t an exact replica but considering it took a very little time (outside of marinating and chile soaking) it produced a solid end product.

Here they are on the grill

On the table ready to serve with the grilled green pepper.



On a tortilla with onions and cilantro.

Goat Bleu

Because we have a cow's milk allergies in the house, I tend to always be on the lookout for affordable goat and sheep bleu cheeses, and I rarely every find them. However, about a month ago I happened into the Whole Foods in Ann Arbor and came across Bastiaansen Organic Goat Bleu cheese on sale for 8.99 a pound.

I let it sit in the refrigerator for a week or two and when I finally got around to trying it, it was spectacular. The aroma was earthy and pungent and it melted in my mouth like a warm chocolate truffle. I'm not sure what the milkfat content is on it, but it must be considerable.

I ate it on a Zingerman's baguette and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks with joy as I savored each bite.

Later on I crumbled it on penne pasta with a red sauce I made with mushrooms, bacon and spinach. It melted down to a velvety creme-like state and the pungent qualities mellowed. It was a very simple meal but the flavors were just totally in tune and over the top.

I paired it with a nice bottle of Bell's Oberon summer ale. If I was going to drink wine I'd look for a white that was dry and has a little fizz to it. A pinot gris or a Spanish white would do well with this. I like my wine and food to contrast rather than blend, something I'm sure I'll post about at length some time.

Not sure how long the sale lasts, but when I went back to get another wedge it was still going on.

Update 5/5: Stopped into Whole Foods tonight, it's running $15.99 a pound now, still not too bad.