AI-generated photo.
Mexican · Iconic, Mexico City · Mexico
Al pastor
Also called tacos al pastor
Al pastor (tacos al pastor), a Mexico City plate from Mexico.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Al pastor is cooked in Mexico City as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Marinate the pork with chile and pineapple, grill it through, and chop it onto warm tortillas. A vertical spit is the taqueria method. A hot pan cooks the same meat. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
84
Health score
Light & nourishing
Healthy
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 44%
- Carbs 32%
- Fat 24%
Suits · Diabetes-friendly
Sugar, fiber, and the starch mix sit in a gentler range. Your own portion still decides the day.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 31.7 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 422 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Pork tenderloin153 kcal
- Corn tortilla65 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Pineapple22 kcal
- Yellow onion10 kcal
- Chipotle in adobo4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 11.6. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 290 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 218 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 290 kcal | 14% |
| Protein | 31.7 g | 63% |
| Carbohydrate | 23.3 g | 8% |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 11% |
| Total sugars | 6.4 g | 13% |
| Fat | 7.8 g | 10% |
| Saturated fat | 1.6 g | 8% |
| Cholesterol | 91 mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 422 mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 741 mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 52 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2.3 mg | 13% |
| Magnesium | 70 mg | 17% |
| Zinc | 3.2 mg | 29% |
| Vitamin A | 11 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 29.1 mg | 32% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K | 12 mcg | 10% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.5 mg | 123% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 39% |
| Niacin (B3) | 10 mg | 63% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.2 mg | 73% |
| Folate · estimate | 16 mcg | 4% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.7 mcg | 30% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Grill pan or grill
- Tongs
- Scale
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Pork tenderloin4 pieces560 g
Pineapple1 cup160 g
Chipotle in adobo2 peppers20 g
Yellow onion1 onion100 g
Cilantro0.3 cup12 g
Corn tortilla6 tortillas120 g
Lime1 lime40 g
Ground cumin0.5 tsp2 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Al pastor. Heat to a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh pork tenderloin, pineapple, chipotle in adobo, yellow onion, cilantro, corn tortilla, lime, ground cumin, kosher salt, olive oil. Al pastor is cooked in Mexico City as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Marinate the pork with chile and pineapple, grill it through, and chop it onto warm tortillas. A vertical spit is the taqueria method. A hot pan cooks the same meat. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Al pastor is cooked in mexico. Also called tacos al pastor. Do not crowd the pan. Brown in two batches if the pieces touch.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Al pastor, until the edges take a little color. Grilled food keeps cooking after it leaves the grate. Pull it just before your cue.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Al pastor at a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C. Start checking at 11 minutes. Al pastor is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
Grill 11 min
- 🇲🇽 MexicoCentral Americaicon-mexico-al-pastor-step-4
Al pastor, step 5
Step 5 · Al pastor
5Check the center of Al pastor, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇲🇽 MexicoCentral Americaicon-mexico-al-pastor-step-5
Al pastor, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Al pastor for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in mexico, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Al pastor in this shot order and no other: beans or grains tender at the edge of a bite; the lid lifted for one quick look; parchment pressed into the pan; a spoon making a path through the sauce. Slate words for the editor: glaze, zestline, pebble, griddle, blister, velvety, patina, harbor, yarrow, peel.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Al pastor is done when the outside is browned and the thickest center is cooked through for the protein on the plate. The heat was a hot grate, about 450°F / 232°C.
If it goes wrong
- Al pastor looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Al pastor turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Al pastor, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Al pastor is one of the plates people ask for by name from Mexico City.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Marinate the pork with chile and pineapple, grill it through, and chop it onto warm tortillas. A vertical spit is the taqueria method. A hot pan cooks the same meat.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.