Alambres are a street taco classic, and cooking them the traditional way, on skewers over an open flame, is hard to beat. I marinate cubes of pork tenderloin for an hour in pineapple juice and Sweetwater Spice Ancho Chipotle Brisket Bath, which gives the pork a gentle sweetness and a smoky chile backbone. Then I thread the pork on skewers, alternating with large pieces of poblano pepper and white onion, season everything with Cattleman's Grill Mexicano Seasoning, and cook it over a hot bed of coals and split wood in the Brasero of my Yoder Smokers El Dorado.
The best part comes at the end. I lay each skewer over a pair of warm tortillas, pile on Chihuahua cheese, cover it with a foil pan, and let the cheese melt right over the meat and vegetables. Then I slide everything off the skewers and onto the tortillas, and serve it with green chile salsa, crema, hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges. It's like fajitas, only smokier, cheesier, and a full meal in a tortilla.
What You'll Love
- Cooked the traditional way. Alambres were made for skewers and an open flame, and live coals give the pork, poblanos, and onion a char you can't get in a skillet.
- A one-hour flavor boost. The pineapple juice and Ancho Chipotle Brisket Bath marinade adds sweetness and smoky chile flavor to the pork before it ever hits the fire.
- Cheese melted right on the grill. A foil pan over the skewers traps the heat so the Chihuahua cheese melts over the meat and vegetables without leaving the fire.
- Fajita flavor with more punch. The pork, peppers, and onion remind me of fajitas, but the smoke and melted cheese take it somewhere heartier.
- Build-your-own finish. Salsa, crema, hot sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges go on the side so everyone can dress their own tortilla.
- Feeds a crowd. One recipe makes 8 servings, and the skewers cook four at a time, so a big group eats together.
