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Greece, Europe · Pork Gyros Pita

Gyros al Pastor Tacos with Charred Pineapple and Lime Tzatziki

Greek gyros meets Mexican al pastor: chipotle-orange pork strips seared crisp, with charred pineapple, lime tzatziki and feta in warm corn tortillas.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time40 min
Marinating+ 30 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsPork must be cooked through (71 °C, no pink juices).

Method

  1. Slice the pork across the grain into thin strips about 5 mm thick. Mix with the olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, chipotle, smoked paprika, orange juice and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight; the orange juice brings the sweet-tangy al pastor note.

    Add in this stepPork shoulder (or neck), boneless 240 gOlive oil 1 tbspGarlic cloves, minced 2Dried oregano 1 tspGround cumin ½ tspGround chipotle chilli ½ tspSmoked paprika 1 tspOrange juice, freshly squeezed 2 tbspSalt ½ tsp

  2. For the lime tzatziki, grate the cucumber, mix with the salt, leave for 5 minutes and squeeze out the water firmly. Stir into the yogurt with the finely grated lime zest and the lime juice (). Chill until serving.

    Add in this stepCucumber ¼Salt (for the cucumber) 1 pinchGreek yogurt 120 gLime (zest and juice, for the tzatziki) ½

  3. Mix the chopped onion and coriander in a small bowl: this is the classic taquería topping.

    Add in this stepWhite onion, finely chopped 40 gFresh coriander (cilantro), chopped 2 tbsp

  4. Heat a large, dry frying pan (28 cm, ideally cast iron) over high heat. Lay in the pineapple slices and cook for , turning once, until they have dark caramelised patches. Cut into small dice.

    Add in this stepFresh pineapple, peeled, in 1 cm slices 120 g

    high heat

  5. In the same pan over high heat, sear the pork in a single layer in 1 batch(es), per batch: leave it alone for the first 2 minutes so it browns, then toss until the edges are crisp and no pink remains (71 °C). Chop into small pieces and toss with the pineapple.

    high heat

  6. Warm the tortillas in the dry pan over medium heat, about 30 seconds per side, in total, and stack them in a clean towel to keep them soft. For sturdier tacos, use two tortillas per taco.

    Add in this stepSmall corn tortillas (12–15 cm) 6

    medium heat

  7. Spread lime tzatziki on each tortilla, add the pork and pineapple, then the onion-coriander mix and the crumbled feta. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing.

    Add in this stepFeta, crumbled 40 gLime, cut in wedges (to serve) 1

Cook's tip

Pineapple contains an enzyme that turns meat mushy, so never put it in a long marinade; char it separately as here. Want more heat? Add a finely sliced fresh chilli to the onion mix. Flour tortillas or small pitas work too.

Cooking it at camp

A great campsite dish: marinate the pork at home in a sealed bag and keep it cold in the cooler. Char the pineapple and sear the pork on a cast-iron griddle over the burner or grill, and warm the tortillas directly on the grate for a few seconds per side.