I was on the banks of the river outside Acapulco, in a town called Pie de la Cuesta, and the restaurant was called Donde Polita – Polita’s Place. She was about 75, and would cook this amazing grilled fish and then the mezcal would come out of a plastic jerry can. It had a sort of sweetness, a fiery strength and an almost spiritual high that could be attained from drinking lots of it.’ The signature dish at El Pastor – after which the restaurant is named – is the “taco al pastor”, an import from the Lebanese who emigrated to Mexico in the 50s and 60s. Though inspired by lamb shawarma kebabs, it’s actually made with pork that’s been marinated for 24 hours in dried chillies, spices and orange juice, piled up on a homemade corn tortilla and peppered with chunks of pineapple. También delicioso. In addition to this you’ll also find heaps of tostadas, quesadillas and tacos filled with an impressive spread of meat, fish and veg options – and, for dessert, a ridiculous chocolate taco... Grill tortillas until soft and beginning to char, about 30 seconds per side. Slice pork against the grain into ¼” strips. Top each tortilla with a few pieces of pork and some pineapple salsa. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over. That said, if it’s the pastor pork you’re after, do get the ‘gringa’ quesadilla. A quarter slice of a large tortilla, it’s served ‘open-faced’, with a messy tumble of meat, melted cheese, coriander and salsa. Every bite brings sweet, salt, fire, squidge and crunch. It’s dirty. It’s delicious. Prichep, Deena; Estrin, Daniel. "Thank the Ottoman Empire for the taco al pastor". TheWorld.org . Retrieved 12 July 2022.

The marinated meat is cooked on a slow turning vertical rotisserie (called a trompo) with a gas flame. It is not uncommon to add other spices to the meat, such as achiote, a seed that imparts a subtle flavor and a reddish-orange color to the dish. Once mounted to the trompo, a piece of onion and pineapple is speared on top of the meat to help add even greater flavor. Once fully cooked, the meat is removed from the spit in very thin slices and served on tortillas with simple toppings such as cilantro, onions, lime juice, salsa, and occasionally pineapple. Try it at Home: Tacos Al Pastor In a segment of the episode, Crispin, Santiago and Matthias taste through a flight of mezcals and describe the breakthrough sip that made them fall in love with mezcal in the first place. In the 1920s in the state of Puebla, lamb meat was replaced by pork. Mexican-born progeny of Lebanese immigrants began opening their various restaurants. Al pastor is the staple of a premier Mexican restaurant. Because of its cooking method, many Mexican restaurants can’t support the required trompo, so they have to make do with over or pan-fried, making the pork chewy and tasteless. Place pork in a large bowl. Purée chiles and soaking liquid, garlic, vinegar, sugar, achiote paste, 3 oz. salt, half of the pineapple, and half of the onion in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour over pork, stirring to coat thoroughly. Cover and chill 3–12 hours.As you might already guess, tacos al pastor is made of al pastor meat or pork shoulder. In fact, there are some places where the term “al pastor” and “tacos al pastor” are synonymous with each other. It wasn’t until cooking styles such as burritos and quesadillas were introduced when the synonymous definition lost its meaning. 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. The method of preparing and cooking al pastor is based on the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to the region. [1] [2] [3] Al pastor features a flavor palate that uses traditional Mexican adobada (marinade). It is a popular street food that has spread to the United States. 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. If using a gas grill or grill pan, prepare for medium-high heat; if using a charcoal grill, prepare for two zones of heat, medium-high and low. Grill remaining pineapple over medium-high heat, turning once, until charred, 6–8 minutes. Finely chop pineapple and combine with habanero chiles, mint, lime juice, and remaining onion in a small bowl. Season with salt, cover, and chill until ready to use. The name translates to “Shephard Style,” which is derived from the origin of the cooking method. Although al pastor is a Mexican meat, the style of cooking is an original of the Lebanese. Lebanese people immigrated to Mexico and brought with them their famous cooking method: lamb shawarma. This nearly identical cooking method to the Lebanese lamb shawarma is a vertical spit-roasted cooking method. It’s a shame, because when it’s good, it’s very good. The space itself is in an old railway arch that feels bang on trend. It’s inviting and looks really cool from the outside, but stepping inside now feels like playing a game of roulette. We still haven’t quite been able to erase the bad times from our memory, but if we were in the neighbourhood and wanted tacos, we could be tempted to give it another shot.

Earlier in the month, EP’s co-founder @senor_pastor, joined host @Dan.Saladino and fellow mezcal enthusiasts @santiagolas and @matthias.ingelmann on an episode of @bbcfoodprog, Mezcal: A Beginners Guide, exploring the diverse world of agave spirits, the promotion of biodiversity and more.NOTE : El Pastor is open daily for lunch and dinner. You can book a table, and find out more, HERE. El Pastor was supposed to be the little taco restaurant that would finally show us Londoners what real tacos are, especially because the guys behind it have heavy hitters like Barrafina and Quo Vadis on their CV. Sterling, David (2014). Yucatán: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition. pp.333, 358–363. ISBN 978-0292735811. Bring guajillo chiles, chiles de árbol, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 30 minutes to let chiles soften.

Al pastor is a dish is popular in Central Mexico. Not to be confused with the spit-grilled shawarma of Lebanese culture, Al pastor meat is typically pork-based in nature and is marinated in a combination of dried chilies, spices, and pineapple.Hursh Graber, Karen (2006). "Wrap It Up: A Guide to Mexican Street Tacos Part II: Nighttime Tacos". mexconnect.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-29 . Retrieved 29 January 2022. So why all the fuss? Well, El Pastor comes from the Hart Brothers (Sam and Eddie, of Barrafina fame, plus, for the first time, little bro James) alongside ex A&R man Crispin Somerville: he and Sam were mates at Manchester Uni, and they later ran a Mexico City restaurant and club together. And, my oh my, do these guys know how to throw a fiesta. El Pastor Soho might be the third in the line of London’s Pastor joints after El Pastor in Borough Market and Casa Pastor in King’s Cross – but it looks like it takes the throne as the new flagship. Take two things to El Pastor: a mobile phone and a list of local bars. This taco joint in a railway arch next to Borough Market doesn’t accept bookings and the wait can, at peak times, be up to two hours. But at least there’s no standing in the rain: they take your number and will text when your table is ready. Al Pastor meat is taken from boneless pork shoulder. Although the cooking style is identical to that of the Lebanese shawarma with its vertical spit-roasting method, the meat is completely different from lamb. Pork shoulder is slow-cooked to keep its tenderness while it is thinly sliced off the spinning spit-roast. What are tacos al pastor made out of?

Thankfully we’re here to explain to you exactly what Al Pastor meat is… and why you should try it asap! What is Al Pastor?Sterling, David (26 April 2016). "The Lebanese Connection, Yucatan: A Culinary Expedition". Archived from the original on 26 April 2016 . Retrieved 12 July 2022.