This isn't authentic al pastor (the real preparation is very similar to shawarma) but it's got the same flavors, and is super easy and crazy delicious.
- 1 medium bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), skin removed
- Kosher salt
- 1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2/3 of a pineapple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- Fish sauce to taste (a few tablespoons)
- Kekap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce, available at most Asian supermarkets) to taste. Feel free to substitute regular soy sauce. About 1/4 cup
- One 14.5 oz can tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
- Cumin to taste, about 1 teaspoon
- Coat the shoulder generously with salt, and brown it well on all sides in a hot pan.
- Puree the peppers, adobo, pineapple, fish sauce, kekap manis, tomatoes, and cumin in a food processor or blender to a smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Pour half of the puree into a crock pot, and add the browned pork.
- Add a little liquid to the pan the pork cooked in (water, stock, beer, whatever's on hand) and scrape up all the good brown bits. Pour into the crock pot.
- Add the rest of the puree to the crock pot, then stick the whole thing in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.
- Cook the pork on the lowest setting for 10-12 hours, until it pulls apart very easily.
- Turn the crock pot to off, and leave the pork in the pot to cool for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pork to a platter or cookie sheet, and spoon off as much fat as possible from the top of the remaining liquid. Wick the last of the fat off with paper towels. If making caramelized pineapple reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Remove the bones and chunks of fat from the pork, and add it back to the liquid in the crockpot. Shred with two forks, and rewarm if necessary.