“In northern Mexico, this taco is called a vampiro because the crunchy fried tortilla looks like a vampire bat wing,” says Rick Martinez. “Down south, it’s volcán—maybe since they see more volcanoes than bats! Either way, juicy pork al pastor and oozy quesillo are a brilliant combo.” Thinly slicing the pork and cooking it with plenty of marinade still clinging in a hot skillet yields the charred edges and deep flavor of traditional spit-roasted pastor.
Like this Bon Appétit recipe? There are plenty more where this came from. Subscribe to the magazine here!
Achiote paste can be found at Latin markets and online.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place pork shoulder on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze, uncovered, until almost completely frozen, about 2 hours. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice pork (shoot for about ⅛" thick). Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
Meanwhile, bring guajillo and morita chiles and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 30 minutes to allow chiles to soften.
Step 3
Transfer chiles and soaking liquid to a blender. Add garlic, orange juice, lime juice, achiote paste, and salt; purée until smooth. Pour over pork and toss to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature 2 hours, or chill up to 6 hours.
Step 4
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly space out tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and very crisp (edges will curl and pucker), 35–45 minutes.
Step 5
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over high until smoking. Spread about one-fourth of pork across skillet in a single layer; cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and wipe out skillet. Working in 3 batches, repeat process with remaining pork and 3 Tbsp. oil.
Step 6
Increase oven temperature to 500°F. Divide pork among tostadas and top with quesillo; bake until cheese is melted, 8–10 minutes. Top with onion and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
51 Mexican Recipes (and Mexican-Inspired Recipes) to Make Tonight
These are the Mexican recipes—and meals inspired by Mexican cuisine—that we keep coming back to.Our 53 Favorite Easy Pork Recipes
Craveable pork dishes you'll come back to again and again.
