![]() Later, in Mexico City, they began to marinate with adobo, and using corn tortillas, which resulted in the al pastor taco. Mexican-born progeny of Lebanese immigrants began opening their various restaurants. In the 1920s in the state of Puebla, lamb meat was replaced by pork. The Lebanese version, shawarma, was brought to Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by a wave of Lebanese immigrants, mainly Christians such as the Maronites who have no religious dietary restrictions on eating pork. History ĭuring the 19th century, variations of a vertically grilled meat dish, now known by several names, started to spread throughout the Ottoman Empire. In some places of northern Mexico and coastal Mexico, such as in Baja California, taco al pastor is known as taco de trompo or taco de adobada.Ī variety of the dish uses a combination of Middle Eastern spices and indigenous central Mexican ingredients and is called tacos árabes. It is a popular street food that has spread to the United States. Al pastor features a flavor palate that uses traditional Mexican adobada (marinade). The method of preparing and cooking al pastor is based on the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to the region. Los Guachos tacos were voted ‘Best in the Midwest’ by Rachel Ray Magazine and the Serious Eats team.Al pastor (from Spanish, "shepherd style"), tacos al pastor, or tacos de trompo is a preparation of spit-grilled slices of pork originating in the Central Mexican region of Puebla and Mexico City, although today it is a common menu item found in taquerías throughout Mexico. Juan, the pastorero, made it look easy but he’s the only one on the team who can do it. Finally a pineapple is placed on top and the trompo is ready to feed Los Guachos’ hoardes of hungry customers. There is a lot of skill (and knife sharpening!) involved in securely stacking and shaping the trompo. The trompo must be shaped smoothly so that it cooks evenly, and any resulting trimmings are saved for cooking on the grill. Once in position at the gas-fired roasting station, searing and trimming is done. Hard as it may be to believe, this is a relatively small one – the largest they’ve made has tipped the scales at 370lbs. At this point, any pieces that are trimmed off are sandwiched between the layers.Īll told, this trompo took about an hour to build and required two men to carry and lift it into position at the grill. Every so often he takes a pause from layering to trim and shape the trompo. The ‘ pastorero‘ (yes, there’s a Spanish title for the person assembling the spit) chooses his pieces carefully, skewering the smaller cuts of meat on the spit first and then adding larger pieces as he works his way upward. First, though, a section of pineapple is slid on to keep the pork from sliding off the bottom of the stake. The chopping board has a specially cut hole in it to hold the spit steady and vertical as the meat is piled on. ![]() Prior to building the spit, the pork shoulder cuts (in this instance, about 100lbs in total) have been marinated for a couple of hours in a mix of achiote (annatto) and cider vinegar. Here are some behind the scenes photos (with explanation) illustrating how pork, pineapple, and marinade are turned into the glorious mound of meat that is the trompo. Since we had wanted to watch the process first hand, we went to Los Guachos to observe as they went about the daily task of assembling it from scratch. It’s not overly complicated, but it can be a bit difficult to verbally explain in a way that is easily understood. Unsurprisingly, we get a lot of questions about how the trompo is made. ![]() ![]() ‘ Trompo’ is the name for the vertical rotating spit of al pastor meat from which Los Guachos shaves glistening ribbons of pork off into their tacos. One of our favorite moments, out of all of our tours, is seeing people’s faces when they first spot the trompo at Los Guachos. It’s not hard to see why it catches the eye, or how it would pique people’s interest. ![]()
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