Of course besides water I think I could live solely on tacos. Ohhhh.... so many delicious choices and combinations to create: soft, crunchy, flour, corn, pork, fish you name it, I'll eat it. Yes even some of that weird hard to pronounce, not sure what part of the animal kind too.
Yesterday I had the treat to go out for lunch, which is pretty rare for me to leave the Southern Living compound at all because of our filling daily taste testings. With my friend Shirley in tow, we ventured to Taqueria La Reyna in Birmingham. The pastor taco stood out to both of us as well as their super chunky fresh guacamole. After lunch it got me thinking, the pastor might as well be my personal contender as top taco. Chunks of pork and pineapple covered in spices and cooked together until tender; a spiced savory sweet combination. All you need is a dash of onion, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and generous squeeze of fresh lime (please, please no sour cream or cheese.)
My friend Maria Corbalan, owner of Taco Express out in Austin, Texas, passed this recipe for Tacos Al Pastor to me earlier this year. I wanted to share it again with y'all because it's perfect for a casual dinner party this holiday for a couple of reasons:
1. It's totally awesome deliciousness.
2. It can be mostly prepared a day ahead. Marinate the meat in a big zip lock and prep assorted topping in small bowls up to 24 hrs. in advance.
3. Saute it up in a big skillet and then let your guest assemble their own. Just the thing for picky eaters and pretty hands off for you.
4. The best part- It's not your usual holiday fare so it will be a welcome change for your guest who may be pretty bored of Aunt Mildred's (insert a so southern "bless her heart" here) casserole surprise.
I am always looking for a great taco recipe or taqueria to check out so please pass them my way. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
