The story of the Taco al Pastor could very well be a joke. "A taco and a shawarma walk into a bar..." Because initial research into the origins of this very popular taco indicates that our favorite Mexican taco is actually Lebanese.
The precursors to tacos al pastor were created in the 1930s in Puebla, Mexico, by Lebanese immigrants who wanted to introduce their new compatriots to their classic shawarma: roasted lamb served on a flour tortilla or pita. Their tortilla creation became known as tacos árabes, a tortilla topped with meat cooked next to a vertical grill.
Their technique of grilling meat on a vertical spit would eventually evolve into tacos al pastor, where the lamb on the skewer was gradually replaced by pork that was no longer simply seasoned with spices like the tacos árabes of the Lebanese immigrants, but was marinated for a long time beforehand in a marinade of herbs and chili peppers.
These days, dozens of restaurants and eateries in Mexican cities feature a Trompo de Pastor, the skewer on which the meat for the Taco al Pastor is grilled in an inverted pyramid. The taquero, or taco maker, slices off the grilled outer layer and drops it directly into a tortilla, then covers the pork with chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa. In recent years, however, the Trompo de Pastor has increasingly been topped with pineapple slices, giving the tacos a pleasantly sweet twist. The origins of this addition and its originator remain unknown. Or, as chef Alex Stupak of the acclaimed taco bar Empellón Al Pastor in New York put it: "The origins of the pineapple addition remain one of the most delicious mysteries in culinary history."
Shopping list
- 1.5 kg attorney, thinly sliced
- 3 chili peppers
- 2 Jalapeños
- 2 chipotle peppers
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- 60 ml vinegar
- 90 ml orange juice
- 3 cloves
- 2 g ground cumin
- 2 g dried oregano
- 1 tomato
- 2 g salt
- Possibly 2 slices of fresh pineapple, cut into pieces
For the Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Sauce
- 3 Tomatillos
- ¼ onion
- 2 small cloves of garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers
- 50 ml pineapple juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
15 corn tortillas
- bunch of coriander, finely chopped
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 30 ml lime juice
- salty
Also needed
- Rotiserie
- Brisket knife or other long, sharp knife
- Zip bag
- Aluminum shell
Let's get started!
Boil the peppers in a pan of water until soft. Grill the tomato until the skin is blackened. Peel and discard the wet insides. First, puree the peppers in a blender, then add the remaining ingredients and blend at full speed to create a smooth marinade. Slice the meat, place it in a ziplock bag, and pour the marinade over it. Close the ziplock bag and knead the meat until all the pieces are covered with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least four hours; overnight is better.
Then, thread the steaks onto the rotisserie skewer. Make sure the outside is evenly skewered so the meat grills evenly.
Hang the rotisserie over a BBQ heated to 190 0 C and turn it on.
Cook until the outside of the stacked meat is brown and crispy. Then, using an aluminum pan and a brisket knife, cut pieces of meat from the rotisserie and drop them directly onto the aluminum pan below.
Place the spit with the meat back in the rotisserie on the BBQ and wait until the 'new' outside is brown and crispy again, then cut the meat off again.
Keep repeating this until all the meat is cut
Meanwhile, make the Roasted Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa by sauteing the tomatillo, onion, and garlic in a skillet on the BBQ for 8 to 10 minutes.
Place the roasted ingredients in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.