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Botana de Pollo Al Pastor

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Ingredients

Scale

1 dried chile guajillo
½ cup apple cider vinegar (120ml)
1 large clove garlic
¼ tsp ground turmeric (2g)
½ tsp black or cayenne pepper (1g)
½ tsp sea salt (2g)
2 oz fresh pineapple (60g) or ¼ cup pineapple juice (60ml)
2lbs. chicken leg quarters (1kg)*

1 lb. bulb onions, cleaned (480g)
1 lb. mixed sweet peppers, skewered (480g)
2 ears of corn, cleaned and cut in half
1 pineapple, peel removed and cut into slices
4 tbsp. avocado or vegetable oil (60ml)

1 recipe cebollas en escabeche (pink pickled onions)
¼ cup queso fresco for garnish (38g)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (30g)
2 avocados, cut into halves
Lime wedges

12 corn tortillas, 6″dia warmed (15cm)
4 oz grated cheese for quesadillas (115g)

Instructions

Remove the seeds and stem from the chile guajillo. Toast lightly over the open flame of a stove burner or under a broiler for 5-10 seconds. Remove and allow to cool.

Combine the toasted chile guajillo, pineapple (or juice,) vinegar, garlic, turmeric, ground pepper and salt in the container of a blender & puree.

Place the leg quarters in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Brush the chicken so that the meat is completely covered in the marinade.

Heat your outdoor grill or the broiler in your oven. Cook the chicken on your grill or under the broiler until the internal temperature registers 160°F (71°C) on a meat thermometer.

Brush the onions, sweet peppers, corn and pineapple slices with the avocado oil. Grill or broil the vegetables alongside the chicken as it cooks. The chicken should take 40 minutes to cook slowly and thoroughly, while the vegetables and pineapple should take about 15-20 minutes. Turn the chicken, vegetables and pineapple so that they cook evenly.

Once the chicken, vegetables and pineapple are grilled, remove from the heat source and allow to cool slightly on a carving board. Meanwhile, make 4-6 quesadillas with the corn tortillas and grated cheese. You will have extra tortillas left over for making tacos.

Serve with the botana board garnished with pink pickled onions, queso fresco, cilantro, avocado slices, lime wedges and warm corn tortillas on the side.

Notes

I used split leg quarters for this botana – split horizontally down the middle of the bone, a split leg quarter cooksw more quickly than regular leg quarters. But, they can also dry out more quickly. Ah well, choose wisely…