BY CASSANDRA HAMMERSTONE
August 2024
I’m celebrating summer’s last hurrah with these smoky and sweet shrimp al pastor tacos. Traditionally, al pastor is all about pork marinated in chiles, then cooked low and slow. This twist swaps in light and juicy shrimp tossed with smoky adobe sauce, topped with caramelized pineapple and a refreshing cabbage and jalapeño slaw and cooling, citrusy lime crema.
This is one of those meals that can be on the table in minutes and makes an easy buffet or make-your-own spread. Feel free to substitute corn tortillas for a gluten-free taco night. Either way, this is what I’m making this weekend as we say an unofficial farewell to long summer days.
To make the marinade, mix two tablespoons of sauce from a can of chipotle peppers with a tablespoon of warm honey and a pinch of salt. Toss the shrimp with the chipotle sauce. I opted for jumbo shrimp at 21-30 per pound. They’re just the right size to get about three shrimp per small tortilla. Look for peeled and deveined raw shrimp, then remove the tails before marinating and cooking.
Whisk the juice and zest from one lime plus with the sour cream to make the crema. Mix the crema into the cabbage, scallions and jalapeño. Season to taste with salt.
Sear the shrimp in a hot skillet over high heat. They’ll cook very quickly, about one minute per side. Remove them from the heat just as they begin to turn opaque. Add the pineapple to the same pan and cook for one to two minutes per side, or until they begin to lightly caramelize. Look for fresh, peeled and cored pineapple in the produce section of the grocery store instead of canned.
Lastly, warm small flour or corn tortillas in a dry skillet on the stovetop and get ready to assemble. Start with the cabbage slaw, then top with a few shrimp, pineapple and fresh cilantro.
SHRIMP AL PASTOR TACOS
Season: Summer
Makes four servings
Ingredients
1 tbsp honey
1 can (7 oz.) chipotle peppers in adobe
1 lb jumbo shrimp (size 21-30) peeled, deveined and tails removed
2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1” pieces
¼ cup sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
½ small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 cups)
1 jalapeno, julienned with ribs and seeds removed
2 scallions, green ends sliced (about ½ cup)
8 small flour or corn tortillas
Fresh cilantro
PREPARATION
Mix the honey and two tablespoons of adobe sauce from the chipotle peppers in adobe, and season with a pinch of salt. Toss the shrimp with the adobe sauce marinade. Sear the shrimp in a large non-stick skillet over high heat until they just begin to turn pink and become opaque, about one minute each side. Set aside.
Add pineapple to the same pan and sear for one minute on each side, or until the pineapple begins to caramelize. Set aside.
Make the crema by whisking the sour cream, lime juice and zest. In a large bowl, mix the shredded cabbage, julienned jalapeno and scallions. Mix the crema into the cabbage mixture and season generously with salt to taste.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over high heat.
To assemble the tacos, fill the tortilla first with slaw, then the shrimp and pineapple, and top with cilantro.
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