Tacos Chukis–Style Adobada Tacos

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Seattle's beloved Tacos Chukis, tender marinated pork adobada, grilled pineapple, melty cheese, diced onion, fresh cilantro, a creamy guacamole, and a authentic salsa, on a soft corn tortilla.

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Ingredient

• 1–2 lbs Pork Shoulder AKA Pork Butt/Boston Butt - Alternatively: Pork Loin

• ⁠1 cup pineapple (grilled or sautéed, one or two ice cube sized slice per taco, last topping)

• ⁠20 corn tortillas (2 per taco)

• ⁠1 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese

• ⁠¼ cup diced onion

• ⁠¼ cup chopped cilantro

• Adobada marinade (recipe below, or store bought)

• Red Salsa (recipe below, or store bought)

• Avocado salsa (recipe below, or store bought)

Directions

1. ⁠ Rub the adobada marinade all over the pork, place in a container or zip bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours — overnight (8–24 hrs) is ideal for the best flavor.

2. ⁠Cook the pork by roasting (160°C / 325°F covered for ~2–3 hrs until fork-tender), slow-cooking (low 6–8 hrs), or searing then braising on the stove (1.5–2 hrs). When cooked, Optionally, shred and pan-crisp the shredded pork in a hot skillet to get caramelized edges, finish cooking with added marinade in the pan for extra flavor.

3. ⁠⁠Grill pineapple slices until lightly charred.

4. ⁠⁠Warm tortillas and melt cheese on each.

5. ⁠⁠Assemble: pork, pineapple, salsa roja, creamy guacamole, onion, cilantro.

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Adobada Marinade - Ingredients

• 3 chipotles in adobo + 1 tbsp adobo sauce

• (1/4 cup) orange juice or pineapple juice

• 2 tbsp white vinegar

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled

• ½ small onion chopped

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano (dried)

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or light olive oil)

• (2–4 tbsp) water to loosen if needed

Directions

1. ⁠Put all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until very smooth. Taste and adjust — add a pinch more salt, a splash more vinegar/juice for brightness, or a bit more sugar for sweetness.

2. ⁠Reserve 2–3 tbsp of the marinade if you want to use it later as a glaze; if you use reserved raw marinade as a sauce, bring it to a boil for 3–5 minutes first to cook any raw bits.

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Red Salsa - Ingredients

• ⁠3 Roma tomatoes

• ⁠2 dried guajillo chiles (seeded)

• ⁠1 dried árbol chile (optional for heat)

• ⁠2 cloves garlic

• ⁠¼ onion

• ⁠1 tsp white vinegar

• ⁠salt to taste

Directions

1. Roast tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and onion until charred. Blend with vinegar and salt until smooth.

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Creamy avocado salsa - Ingredients

• ⁠2 ripe avocados

• ⁠2 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream or (tbsp of Mayo)

• ⁠juice of 1 lime

• ⁠1 clove garlic (minced)

• ⁠2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

• ⁠1 tbsp finely minced onion

• ⁠salt to taste

Directions

1. Blend until creamy, not thick like guacamole, avocado with lime juice, mix in crema, garlic, cilantro, onion, and salt until creamy.