Recipes
Tuna 'Al Pastor' Tacos with Pineapple Habanero Salsa|Weston Table

Large Plates

OFYR Tuna Al Pastor Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Habanero Salsa

Memorial Day marks the beginning of warmer weather, outdoor entertaining, and the grilling season. This recipe is a fast cooking, healthy alternative, and easy to recreate at home al pastor style taco. Meaty fish is every bit (we think even more so) as satisfying as the original Al Pastor Mexican dish made with thinly sliced pork that has been seasoned with chili peppers and pineapple and roasted on a vertical spit, and instead of being ready in hours, is ready in minutes. 

When we have guests, we like to put the excess marinade (reserved from the bag the tuna was marinating in), the pineapple salsa, tortillas, and tuna out on a platter for a grill your own experience on the OFYR. Slices of avocado (with lime juice squeezed over them to preserve their color) and some pretty fresh cilantro micro greens make for festive presentation.

Serve with a bucket of crisp delicate lager or a brisk hoppy pilsner and visions of  a beach in Cancún are certain to cross your mind.

Read More Skip to Recipe
cuisine Mexican
difficulty Easy
season Year Round
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the Tuna Tacos

  • 1 pound fresh tuna, sliced into thick individual pieces
  • 1 guajillo chile, dried
  • 1 ancho chile, dried
  • 1 arbol chile, dried
  • 2 tablespoons achiote paste
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 corn tortillas

Ingredients for the Salsa

  • 4 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
  • 5 ounces fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2
  • 2 limes, cut in half
  • 1/2 fresh habanero chile, seeds and ribs removed
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or microgreens)
  • Sea salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Prepare the OFYR.
  2. Toast the dried chilies on the outer ring of the OFYR over medium heat until fragrant.
  3. Once cool enough to handle, stem, seed, and soak the chiles in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften. 
  4. Drain, discarding the soaking liquid.
  5. Add the chilies, chiote, garlic, juice, vinegar, salt and black pepper to a blender and whir until smooth.
  6. Place the fish in a Ziploc bag, add the marinade, and place the fish in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours to rest.
  7. Prepare an area of the OFYR ring to high high (build up logs and embers under that area).
  8. Place the pineapple rings and limes cut side down on the OFYR. Grill until limes are blackened and the pineapple is caramelized. 
  9. Char the tomatillos and the habanero on the outer ring until charred and softened. 
  10. Mince the habanero (start with half and check the heat), grate the tomatillos, and dice the pineapple into 1/4" cubes. 
  11. Stir the habanero mix together with the diced onion, cilantro, and pineapple, and the juice squeezed from the charred limes. Season with sea salt to taste (add the rest of the habanero for more heat).
  12. Drizzle a thin layer of the safflower oil over the outer ring of the OFYR where the fish will cook. 
  13. Sear the fish allowing the marinade paste to caramelize, 1 minute per side (the inside of the tuna should remain raw). 
  14. Add the corn tortillas to the OFYR plate and warm while the tuna is cooking. 
  15. Divide the tuna among the tortillas and top with the pineapple salsa.

Kitchen Notes

Any variety of tuna or a firm whitefish such as halibut, mahi mahi, or cod would be tasty. Use gloves when handling the habanero. Dried chilis and the achiote paste may be found in any supermarket with a decent international foods aisle, or a latin market. Excess salsa may be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. This recipe may also be done indoors in a sizzling cast iron skillet (toast the chilis over a gas stove top burner, or in a skillet heated in the oven for 30 minutes at 500 degrees F. before toasting). Use the same skillet to sear the tuna and another for the pineapple and tomatillos. May also be adapted for a traditional gas or charcoal fired grill.
WT Recipes

More Large Plates

Large Plates

Salmon with Strawberry, Cucumber, and Mint Relish

Large Plates

Thai Beef Salad

Large Plates

Goat Cheese, Carrot, and Asparagus Tart

Large Plates

Silver Palate Apricot, Rosemary & Garlic Pasta