It is a rich and savory meat that is often served with salsa and other toppings. Lengua: This is a beef tongue that is slow-cooked until it is tender and flavorful. It is seasoned with a blend of spices, including paprika, cumin, and chili powder, and is often used as a filling for tacos. It is slow-cooked until it is tender and is often served with cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime.Ĭhorizo: This is a spicy sausage that is typically made from pork. It is cooked until it is tender and crispy on the outside, and is commonly used in tacos.īarbacoa: This is a tender and flavorful meat that is typically made from beef, lamb, or goat. It is similar to gyro or shawarma meat and has a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.Ĭarnitas: This is a slow-cooked pork meat that is typically seasoned with garlic, cumin, and other spices. It is a lean and flavorful meat that is commonly used in tacos.Īl Pastor: This is a pork meat that is typically marinated in a blend of spices and then roasted on a spit. Here are some of the main differences between them:Ĭarne Asada: This is a grilled steak that is typically marinated in lime juice, garlic, and other spices. There are several types of meat commonly used in Mexican tacos. What are the differences in meats on Mexican street tacos? We can't help but think it's gotta be the pineapple! To learn more about Mexican dishes and culture, be sure to read our blog, or visit any Mexicali Fresh Me x Grill location in Massachusetts or Connecticut.This refreshing batch of al pastor tacos will have everyone asking for your recipe on your weekly Taco Tuesday. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.ĭo Ahead: Pineapple salsa can be made 4 hours ahead keep chilled. Top each tortilla with a few pieces of pork and some pineapple salsa. Slice pork against the grain into ¼” strips. Grill tortillas until soft and beginning to char, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let pork rest 10 minutes. Remove pork from marinade and grill until marinade on pork has dried and begins to caramelize and char, about 12 minutes per side. If using gas grill or grill pan, reduce heat to low if using charcoal grill, use low-zone heat. Season with salt, cover, and chill until ready to use. Finely chop pineapple and combine with habanero chiles, mint, lime juice, and remaining onion in a small bowl. Grill remaining pineapple over medium-high heat, turning once, until charred, 6–8 minutes. 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.

Pour over pork, stirring to coat thoroughly. salt, half of the pineapple, and half of the onion in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Purée chiles and soaking liquid, garlic, vinegar, sugar, achiote paste, 3 oz. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 30 minutes to let chiles soften. Try this recipe by BonAppetit for a similar Al Pastor experience!ģ pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), sliced ¾” thickģ tablespoons prepared or fresh achiote pasteġ pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into ½” rings, dividedĢ red habanero chiles, seeds removed, finely choppedīring guajillo chiles, chiles de árbol, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

What makes Tacos Al Pastor delicious is the marinade and slow cook time of the pork. While we won’t blame you if you don’t have a trompo hanging around in your kitchen, you can still enjoy tacos that are cooked in a similar style to Al pastor. 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. Once mounted to the trompo, a piece of onion and pineapple is speared on top of the meat to help add even greater flavor. 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. The marinated meat is cooked on a slow turning vertical rotisserie (called a trompo) with a gas flame. However, the Mexican meats made in this style can commonly be found in dishes such as gringas, alambres, and huaraches. Having been derived from such a cooking style, tacos al pastor is similar to the Turkish döner kebab and Greek gyros. It is believed that the Mexican Al pastor originated from the Arab’s shawarma grilled meats. 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. Al pastor is a dish is popular in Central Mexico.

Cooking al pastor meat