Skip The Trompo: Make These Al Pastor Kebabs
Skip The Trompo: Make These Al Pastor Kebabs
May 2, 2024
Tacos al pastor are one of Mexico City's greatest gifts to the tacoverse — but if you've got a hankering without a plane ticket, we have the perfect hack.
Credit for the dish's conception is due to the Lebanese immigrants who came to Mexico in the early 1900s and introduced their shawarma-style cooking technique of rotating meat on an open flame.
Tacos al pastor typically begin with pork (marinated in achiote paste, dried chiles and spices) cooked slowly on a trompo (a kind of vertical rotisserie) together with pineapple. The meat is then thinly shaved and served on a corn tortilla, garnished with pineapple, chopped onions, and cilantro.
To make them at home, we're replacing one Middle Eastern cooking technique with another: the kebab. Toss chicken thighs in a quick adobo marinade to give them that beautiful deep-red color before layering them onto a skewer with chunks of pineapple and grilling (or searing on a grill pan) until beautifully charred. Chicken cooks quickly and stays juicy, but feel free to try it with pork and let us know how it goes!
Credit for the dish's conception is due to the Lebanese immigrants who came to Mexico in the early 1900s and introduced their shawarma-style cooking technique of rotating meat on an open flame.
Tacos al pastor typically begin with pork (marinated in achiote paste, dried chiles and spices) cooked slowly on a trompo (a kind of vertical rotisserie) together with pineapple. The meat is then thinly shaved and served on a corn tortilla, garnished with pineapple, chopped onions, and cilantro.
To make them at home, we're replacing one Middle Eastern cooking technique with another: the kebab. Toss chicken thighs in a quick adobo marinade to give them that beautiful deep-red color before layering them onto a skewer with chunks of pineapple and grilling (or searing on a grill pan) until beautifully charred. Chicken cooks quickly and stays juicy, but feel free to try it with pork and let us know how it goes!
