Vegan Tacos al Pastor

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"It doesn't get any more authentic than this, friends. A traditional tacos al pastor recipe made easy, vegan, and absolutely delicious."
-- @brokebankvegan

Recipe Intro From brokebankvegan

Textured vegetable protein (TVP for short) replaces meat in these al pastor-inspired tacos. Serve with diced white onion, pineapple, cilantro, lime and salsa! 

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  • Recipe Card
Prep time 15mins
Cook time 1hr 15mins
Serves or Makes: 18

Recipe Card

I

ingredients

  • 3 cups (1 1/2 sticks) dried Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
  • 3 dried guajillo chilies
  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 medium white onion
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 ounce achiote paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 18 fresh corn tortillas
  • 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro

Method

  • Step 1

    To begin, bring about 4 cups of water to boil in a kettle. Then, add the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and hot water to a mixing bowl and cover. Set that aside while you prepare the marinade.

  • Step 2

    To start your marinade, remove the stem and seeds from the chilies. Then, toast them in a skillet over medium-low for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to turn your chilies frequently to prevent burning.

  • Step 3

    Next, cover them with water and bring to a low boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until the peppers are softened.

  • Step 4

    Once the chilies are ready, add them to a blender with the pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, onion, cumin, Mexican oregano, cloves, achiote paste, and salt. Blend until smooth.

  • Step 5

    Next, transfer your re-hydrated TVP to a strainer to get rid of the excess water (make sure to squeeze it out thoroughly!). Add the TVP to a large container or freezer bag with the marinade over top.

  • Step 6

    Stir the mixture quite well to ensure the TVP evenly soaks in the marinade. Cover and transfer to your fridge to marinate for at least 2-4 hours, but preferably overnight.

  • Step 7

    When you're ready to eat, drain the excess marinade off the TVP and preheat 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium. Add in the TVP and fry, stirring occasionally until it's hot and appears slightly matte.

  • Step 8

    Note: you will have to use two large skillets or cook two batches for this amount of TVP.

  • Step 9

    Serve immediately on homemade corn tortillas with diced white onion, fresh pineapple chunks, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and some salsa!

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