Pork Gringas (Quesadillas)

Lunch | Mexican

Prep time: 4 min Cook time: 25 min Servings: 8

A gringa is essentially a quesadilla made with al pastor pork, mozzarella, and two flour tortillas instead of one. Al pastor is traditionally it’s cooked on a vertical spit called a trompo, but for home cooking you get the same flavour profile by marinating thinly sliced pork butt overnight in a blended paste of dried chillies, achiote, vinegar and spices. The high sugar content in the marinade caramelises quickly on a hot grill, which is how you get the char you want in under five minutes per side.

Assembly is done on the flat plate of the BBQ. The tortilla goes down first, then the cheese so it melts directly into the base. Once the cheese is molten, the chopped pork goes on, followed by another layer of cheese before the second tortilla goes on top. The two layers of cheese are structural: the bottom layer bonds the pork to the tortilla, and the top layer bonds the second tortilla down when you press and flip. Serve with salsa roja and lime. The al pastor also works well in burritos, on nachos, or over rice if you make a larger batch.

Ingredient Notes

Dried chillies: Three types of dried chillies go into the marinade and each one does something different. Ancho chillies are mild and contribute a deep, slightly fruity base. Pasilla or guajillo chillies add earthy complexity. Arbol chillies bring the heat. You’ll find these at Mexican grocery stores, quality delis, or online. Seed and stem them before cooking. If you want less heat, reduce or skip the arbol chillies rather than adjusting the others.

Achiote paste: Achiote paste is made from ground annatto seeds blended with spices and vinegar. It has a deep brick-red colour, a mildly earthy flavour and is a core ingredient in al pastor. It won’t make the dish taste like anything else. Find it at Mexican or Latin grocery stores, or online. It keeps well refrigerated once opened. If you genuinely can’t find it, smoked paprika can fill the gap on colour and a little earthiness, though the flavour won’t be quite the same.

Pork butt: Pork butt, also called Boston butt or square cut shoulder, is a well-marbled cut that stays juicy even when cooked quickly over high heat. For al pastor you need it sliced very thin, about 3-4mm. The easiest way to do that at home is to partially freeze the pork for an hour or two before slicing. A semi-frozen piece of meat is firm enough to hold together as you slice through it. Ask your butcher for a boneless piece and they can slice it for you if you prefer.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Large deep frying pan
Blender
Large bowl (for marinating)
BBQ with flat plate and grill
Tongs
Wire rack and tray

Ingredients

Al Pastor Pork (Marinade)
2 tbsp pork lard (or peanut oil)
½ small white onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 ancho chillies, seeded and stemmed
2 pasilla or guajillo chillies, seeded and stemmed
2 arbol chillies, seeded and stemmed
125ml (½ cup) chicken stock
125ml (½ cup) water
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp achiote paste
1 tbsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce
60ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sea salt
cracked black pepper
2 tsp caster sugar
2kg pork butt, boned, sliced thinly
To assemble
8 flour tortillas
200g (2 cups) grated mozzarella cheese
1 white onion, finely diced
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
Salsa roja, lime wedges, to serve

Directions

Prep the marinade
Heat the lard or oil in a large deep frying pan on medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to brown.
Add bay leaves and dried chillies, cook for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in oregano, cumin and achiote paste and cook for a further 30 seconds to toast.
Stir in chicken stock and water to deglaze the pan, stirring until achiote paste dissolves. Remove from the heat.
Remove the bay leaves and then transfer to a blender along with the chipotle, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Puree until very smooth.
Toss the marinade through the pork in a large bowl until very well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours up to overnight.
Cook the pork
Preheat a bbq grill to medium high. Place the pork slices on the grill in a single layer. Close the lid and cook for 2 minutes, until well charred.
Turn the pork slices over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side with the lid closed. Transfer the pork to a wire rack over a tray and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Assemble the Gringas
Roughly chop the pork and set aside. Place a flat plate on the bbq grill and preheat to medium high.
Place flour tortillas down on the flat plate, working with 2 or 3 at a time, depending on the available space. Top each with a little of the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, then add some pork and spread out over the tortilla to an even layer. Sprinkle over some white onion, coriander leaves and more cheese. Top with another tortilla and close the lid.
Flip the tortillas over once the underside is golden and crisp. Continue to cook with the lid closed until both sides are cooked.
Transfer to a board and slice into wedges. Serve with salsa roja, lime wedges and extra white onion and coriander leaves.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Partially freeze the pork before slicing

Getting the pork to 3-4mm thickness is important for the marinade to penetrate and for the slices to cook quickly on the grill. If you’re slicing it yourself, put the pork in the freezer for an hour or two first. A semi-frozen piece of meat is much firmer and easier to slice thinly with a sharp knife. Your butcher can also slice it for you if you ask.

Melt the cheese before adding the pork

Put the tortilla on the flat plate and add the cheese first, not the pork. Let it melt into the tortilla before the pork goes on. This creates a cheesy base that the pork sticks to, and the second layer of cheese on top of the pork bonds the two tortillas together when you press and flip. Skipping this step is the reason gringas fall apart.

Storage

The cooked al pastor pork keeps well. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a hot pan before assembling the gringas. The assembled gringas are best eaten straight off the grill while the skin is still crisp. You can also freeze the cooked pork for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pan over high heat to get some colour back.

FAQs

Can I marinate the pork ahead of time? Yes, and I’d encourage it. Overnight in the fridge gives the best result. The marinade penetrates further and the flavour is noticeably deeper than a 4-hour marinade. You can also marinate for up to 48 hours without any issues.

How spicy is this? Mild to medium, depending on how many arbol chillies you use. The arbol is the hot one in this recipe. If you want less heat, reduce the arbol to one chilli or leave it out entirely. If you want more, add an extra one or include a few of the seeds when you blend the marinade.

Can I cook this without a BBQ? Yes. Cook the pork in a heavy-based frying pan or griddle pan over high heat, working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. For the tortillas, a large non-stick frying pan works well. Cook them one or two at a time and press them down with a spatula. The cook time for the pork will be about 3 to 3.5 minutes per side without a lid.