Al pastor facts for kids
A trompo of pastor meat
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| Place of origin | Mexico |
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| Region or state | Puebla, Mexico City |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredients | Pork meat |
Al pastor is a super popular taco from Mexico. Its name means "shepherd style" in Spanish. It's made with pork meat cooked on a special spinning grill. This cooking method came from Lebanese immigrants who brought a dish called shawarma to Mexico.
Al pastor tacos have a unique taste. They use a special Mexican marinade called adobada. You can find this tasty street food all over Mexico and even in the United States. In some parts of northern Mexico, like Baja California, it's known as taco de adobada. There's also a similar dish from Puebla called tacos árabes. It mixes Middle Eastern spices with Mexican ingredients.
How Al Pastor Began
In the 1800s, different kinds of meat dishes cooked on a vertical grill became popular. These dishes spread across the Ottoman Empire. Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Lebanese immigrants came to Mexico. Most of them were Christians who could eat pork. They brought their version of the grilled meat dish, which was shawarma.
In the 1960s, the children of these immigrants started their own restaurants. They mixed their family traditions with Mexican cooking. This is how al pastor was born! It's like a Mexican version of shawarma. It's also similar to the Turkish döner kebab and the Greek gyros.
Making Al Pastor
To make al pastor, pork meat is first soaked in a special marinade. This marinade usually has dried chilies, spices, pineapple, and a red paste called achiote. Common ingredients include Guajillo chile, garlic, cumin, clove, bay leaf, and vinegar. Some recipes also add cinnamon, Mexican oregano, coriander, and black peppercorns.
The marinated pork is then stacked on a tall, spinning grill. This grill is called a trompo, which means "spinning top." The meat cooks slowly with charcoal or gas flame. A slice of fresh onion and a piece of pineapple are often placed on top of the meat stack.
When the meat is ready, thin slices are cut off the trompo with a big knife. These slices are put into a small corn tortilla. Al pastor tacos are usually served with finely chopped onions, cilantro, and diced pineapple. You can also add a squeeze of lemon or lime and some salsa. This delicious meat is also used in other Mexican dishes like gringas, alambres, huaraches, tortas, and even pizza.
Different Kinds of Al Pastor
In some parts of northern Mexico, like Nuevo León and Durango, these tacos are often called tacos de trompo. This name is used when they are served on corn tortillas. If they come with cheese on flour tortillas, they are called gringas.
Another similar dish is tacos árabes. These tacos started in Puebla in the 1930s. They came from the cooking styles of Arab Mexicans. Tacos árabes use meat cut from a spit, just like shawarma. But they are served in a special flatbread called pan árabe, which is like pita bread.
Sometimes, you can even find a chicken version of al pastor. This chicken is marinated in the same "al pastor" style. It's sometimes called "shawarma mexici" in the Middle East. It's often served wrapped in a thin flatbread with garlic mayonnaise, dill pickles, and french fries.
See also
In Spanish: Taco al pastor para niños
