This recipe is inspired by the al pastor tacos made famous by street vendors throughout Mexico but trades the spit for a little bit weeknight ease—pork tenderloin stands in for shoulder, getting marinaded in the juice from a can of pineapple, while the rings get charred off before being tossed in a pre-made pico de gallo.
Trim the tenderloins of any excess fat and remove the silver skin.
Season the pork with 2 tsp of the chili lime seasoning. Transfer it to a 1-gallon disposable zip-top bag.
Open the can of pineapple and drain the juice into the bag with the pork. Refrigerate until you’re ready to grill (see recipe tips)
Mix the remaining chili lime seasoning with the crema.
Prepare the grill for Direct Medium-High Heat cooking, 450°–500°F, and preheat for 15 minutes before brushing the grill grates clean.
Set the grill to 475°F and preheat for 15 minutes before brushing the grill grates clean.
Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and rub with oil.
Place the tenderloin on the grill, along with the pineapple slices. Cook, with the lid closed, for 6 minutes.
Flip the pork and the pineapple (a spatula works best for the pineapple) and cook for another 6 minutes.
Remove the pineapple from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Flip the tenderloin 1 more time and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, about 6 minutes longer.
Allow the pork to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. While the pork rests, add the tortillas to the grill and cook until warmed through, 1–2 minutes.
To serve, cut the pork in half lengthwise, then slice into thin slices. Chop the pineapple into pieces and stir it into the pico de gallo.
Build each taco with some of the crema, a few slices of pork and top it all with the pineapple pico.
Recipe Tips
You can marinate the pork for up to 8 hours if you’re using canned pineapple. However, fresh pineapple has an active enzyme that will tenderize the meat, so don’t let it marinate for longer than 2 hours.
