Pork Jowl Al Pastor

Al pastor is one of the most recognizable and beloved Mexican taco builds. At Geraldine’s, a comfort-centric modern café at Hotel Van Zandt, the familiar street-food staple is reimagined into a fine-dining experience. The Al Pastor dish starts with Berkshire pork jowl, marinated in a traditional blend of dried chiles, achiote and spices, then transformed through a multi-step process that pushes the boundaries of the format.

Once the pork is cooked, it’s sliced, layered with bacon and onion, then rebuilt in a lasagna-style preparation before being pressed, portioned and threaded onto a skewer. The meat is seared and lacquered with an al pastor glaze enriched by fish sauce caramel. The dish is finished with roasted pineapple gel, chipotle purée, onion, cilantro and lime, and served with housemade nixtamal tortillas. Right before service, the dish is smoked with applewood, adding a dramatic, multisensory element.

“The flavor experience is remarkable,” says Sergio Ledesma, executive chef. “It begins with a deep umami note from the fish sauce caramel—an element that’s intriguing and hard to place at first. This is followed by the sweetness of the glaze and roasted pineapple gel, then a gentle heat from the chipotle. The richness of the pork jowl is exceptional, and the dish finishes with the bright freshness of cilantro and lime, creating a complete journey of layered flavors in a single bite.”

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