Al Pastor Kabobs

This post has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyMazolaMarinade

Who is ready to talk about grilling?! Today I’m sharing these Al Pastor Kabobs that are marinated in a spicy pineapple marinade made with Mazola® Corn Oil. A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, visit Mazola.com.

So we moved a couple weeks ago. The first thing we bought when we got a little settled in was a grill. And these were the first thing I’ve ever grilled alone! So that tells you how easy they are.

They are delicious, full of so much flavor. There are guajillo chiles (scroll down for substitutions if you can’t find them), chipotles in adobo, pineapple juice! And that’s just in the marinade. The marinated pork is layered with fresh pineapple and bell peppers and then grilled to perfection.

Mazola Corn Oil is my favorite oil to grill with because it has a smoke point of 450˚ ​F (which also means it’s great for quick stir fries). You want a nice char on these kabobs so you’re going to put the grill on high – you need that high smoke point! 

Mazola Corn Oil is a heart-healthy* cooking oil and creates marinades that make great-tasting food because it has a neutral taste that lets the natural flavor of your food stand out. You can use it in baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing. It’s a really versatile oil.

How To Make Al Pastor Kabobs

Okay, this is going to look like a lot of steps but I promise it’s really not that bad!

• Toast guajillo chile in a hot skillet until softened; add water and transfer chile and water to a bowl. Cover tightly and let continue to soften for about 5 minutes
• In a blender, combine chile and water mixture, garlic, cumin, oregano, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, pineapple juice, salt and Mazola® Corn Oil
• Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade
• Pour the remaining marinade over cubed pork in a shallow dish
• Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours (up to overnight)
• When ready to grill, pour reserved marinade over cubed pineapple and sliced bell pepper
• Layer marinated pork, pineapple, and bell pepper on skewers
• Grill over high heat for 3 – 5 minutes per side, depending on size of the pork

Guajillo Chile

Okay, so guajillo chile is the one kind of specialty ingredient in this recipe. I live in Texas so they’re widely available here but I’m not sure about everywhere else. Guajillo chiles are dried chiles and I find them in the Mexican aisle of pretty much every grocery store around here.

When we were in Colorado, all the dried chiles were in the produce section so check there, too.

If you can’t find them, use 1 tsp of ancho chili powder. And if you can’t find that either, extra chipotles in adobo will work just fine. It will still be spicy and super flavorful.

Because the guajillo chile is dried you have to soften them up before using them in the marinade. To do that, you toast them on all sides in a hot skillet until they start to brown and then add water to the hot skillet. Move the entire mixture over to a bowl and cover it tightly. That way the steam softens it up and then you can blend it up in your marinade.

Tips for Making Al Pastor Kabobs

• If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes before adding the meat and veggies
• Don’t love bell peppers? Red onion would be delicious! Just follow the same instructions, substituting the onion.
• If you’re planning a party, you can get the pork in the marinade the night before so all you have to do the day of the party is layer everything on the kabobs and grill them for just a few minutes.
• Serve them on their own or with rice or even with tortillas on the side.

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*see Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health

Yield: 6 servings

Al Pastor Kabobs

Print

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 dried guajillo chile, stem and seeds removed
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
• 1 chipotle in adobo pepper plus 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 3 tbsp Mazola® Corn Oil
• 2 pounds pork loin, cut into slightly larger than bite size chunks

For the skewers:

• 1 pineapple, cut into chunks
• 1 bell pepper (any color), sliced

Instructions

1. Toast chile in a saucepan over medium-high heat until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes
2. Once toasted, add water to the hot pan.
3. Transfer chile and water to a bowl and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Let stand for about 5 minutes
4. Pour chile and water into a blender. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, pineapple juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add Mazola® Corn Oil and blend until just combined. Reserve 1/4 of the marinade. Pour the rest into a shallow dish large enough to hold pork.
5. Add pork to the shallow dish and toss to coat.
6. Place in refrigerate and let marinate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
7. When ready to assemble kabobs, toss pineapple and pepper in the reserved marinade.
8. Layer pork, pineapple, and pepper on kabobs
9. Grill over high heat about 3 - 5 minutes per side, until cooked through and slightly charred.
10. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 880mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 41g

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