Mexico is a paradise of taco styles and new ones are always evolving. But the go-to style is still tacos al pastor.
Tacos al pastor famously evolved from the shawarma style of cooking that originated during the latter period of the Ottoman Empire and features marinated lamb slow-cooked on a vertical spit and served in pita bread. When the Ottoman Empire crumbled, part of it became Lebanon. An influx of Lebanese immigrated to Mexico during the late 19th and early 20th century. Most settled in Puebla and CDMX, with shawarma transforming into tacos árabes in Puebla during the 1930s.
How did tacos árabes — delicious in their own right — transform into tacos al pastor? This happened in the late 1950s or early 1960s when a culinary boom in CDMX inspired a vibrant taco scene. The taco al pastor developed around then, with lamb changing into marinated pork on the trompo, and acquiring all the fixings we now take for granted.
How tacos al pastor are made
One of the most important elements of slow-roasted pork on the trompo is the marinade it has been given. Most restaurants have their respective secret recipes, but one ingredient never changes: achiote. That’s what gives al pastor tacos their distinctive orange-red color. The other distinguishing ingredient, at least during the trompo phase, is the pineapple affixed above the pork.
This isn’t for show. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, causing meat to tenderize. Tacos al pastor would not taste the way it does without pineapple dripping onto the meat during the slow-cooking process. Also, sweet and acidic pineapple pieces are the perfect complement to rich pork.
Onions and cilantro are also critical elements of the culinary art form known as tacos al pastor, as are corn tortillas. The corn tortillas should be smaller than a normal-sized tortilla.
Some say the proper number of tacos al pastor to eat in one sitting is five. I use the word “sitting”, but these are tacos meant to be eaten standing up late at night.
NB: The taquería El Califa de León in CDMX was actually awarded a Michelin Star! Who knew!
— from an article by Chris Sands https://mexiconewsdaily.com/food/state-by-plate-mexico-city-tacos-al-pastor/
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