Al Pastor - The #1 Taco (And for Good Reason)
The distinctive aroma wafting through the streets calls out to longtime fans and new friends alike, inviting one and all to a fiesta full of flavor and pure happiness.
The first time you try a taco al pastor is an experience no one can forget. From the moment that first bite passes your lips, a lifelong love relationship between your taste buds and the thinly sliced, perfectly seasoned pork begins.
Your life is forever changed, enriched…and now full of constant cravings for the next time you can go to the nearest taqueria for another order of tacos al pastor. At My Taco Guys, we respectfully call our taco al pastor El Jefe, because we openly recognize his well-earned position of honor among his fellow tacos.
Even so, we can’t help but marvel at how the taco al pastor has risen to such great heights, considering his short history in Mexican cuisine. Honestly, it makes us respect him even more, and we think you’ll feel the same when you hear his history and learn about how he came to be called the world’s #1 taco.
The Poster Child for Cultural Blending
As we have mentioned frequently in this post, one of the taco’s most winning attributes is his adaptability to a wide variety of fillings. As any self-respecting Mexican knows, you can wrap a tortilla around pretty much anything to make a quick, portable taco lunch.
Keeping that and the taco’s blended heritage in mind, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the most beloved taco ever, the taco al pastor, has roots (gasp!) that aren’t fully Mexican.
Yep, you heard it right. The iconic taco al pastor—the crowd favorite equally in Mexico and in the United States—was only born in the land of Moctezuma, but his roots come from all the way across the ocean.
You see, during the early part of the 20th century, a great influx of Lebanese immigrants relocated to Mexico to escape unfavorable conditions in their home country, and many ended up settling in the central region of Mexico. As immigrants typically do, they brought along with them their culture, especially their cuisine.
In their new home, these Lebanese immigrants introduced the shawarma, a preparation of sliced lamb meat prepared on a type of spit. Not surprisingly, within some years, this style of cooking was adapted to fit Mexican realities.
In the state of Puebla, more readily available pork meat was substituted for lamb and, of course, regional flavors like chile and achiote were added to the marinade to give the meat a true Mexican twist. Soon taquerias throughout Mexico from the north to the south were putting tacos al pastor on their menus, and this new addition quickly gained widespread popularity.
Today, this same process is still followed to prepare your order of al pastor tacos in a vertical spit that Mexicans call a trompo. Each taquero has his own special touch that separates his tacos al pastor from the rest, but the preparation process to produce the tender slices of crispy meat is the same one that Lebanese immigrants introduced to Mexico more than a century ago.
A Taco That Knows No Boundaries
Not surprisingly, as more Mexican immigrants arrived in the United States, the taco al pastor was one of the things they took along with them. And naturally, as US palates began to crave Mexican flavors, the taco al pastor once again began to win new fans and friends with his innate rich flavor, not to mention his visual appeal.
Even people that know nothing about Mexican culture but who have had the privilege to eat authentically prepared tacos know the al pastor by name. Typically topped with freshly chopped onions, cilantro and pineapple, the taco al pastor offers a one of a kind taste experience that continues to win acclaim, including among food critics.
In 2019, he was ranked the world’s number one food by users of Taste Atlas, proving what those of us who have long loved him already know—the taco al pastor is in a class of his own. He continues to make a name for himself wherever he’s served, from fine-dining restaurants to taco trucks.
At My Taco Guys, El Jefe is no exception. He’s that taco that has customers coming back time and again for another order. His willingness to adapt himself to whichever tortilla you choose to put him in and whatever salsa you dress him up with only serves to confirm that the taco al pastor is the perfect representative of Mexican cuisine and its blended heritage.