Also very good is El rincón de la lechuza on Miguel Angel de Quevedo. One of the best places for tacos al pastor in Mexico City is called El Tizoncito, and it is actually a local mini-chain of restaurants. Especially if you are drinking Negra Modelo. Since the individual taco is quite small, you can easily eat five. The taco is then served with raw chopped onion, cilantro, hot sauce, and lime. The complete taco employs tortillitas: the pastorero dips briefly the tortillita in the drip pan (didn’t I mention that the meat is quite fatty and releases large amounts of fat ?), slices off meat on the tortillita, slashes at the pineapple (which is also cooking) and catches the falling slice with the tortillita. As the outer layer of the huge ball of meat (it is actually called la bola) roasts, the cook (actually a specialized guy, called el pastorero) trims off the cooked bits and collects them in something that resembles a dustpan. The spit is then mounted in the vertical broiler, and the cooking process begins. Slice upon slice of meat is impaled upon the vertical spit, which is then topped with a whole pineapple and occasionally an onion. The meat is pork, seasoned with red stuff that I assume to be achiote. Tacos al pastor are invariably eaten in a restaurant, because to make them you need a vertical broiler, which nobody has at home. In some places in Northern Mexico, like Nuevo Leon, these are usually called Tacos de Trompo.Ī Mexican delicacy, invented some thirty years ago in Mexico City. Tacos al pastor, although less widely available than other styles in fusion Mexican cuisine, are one of the most popular tacos served in Taquerias both in Mexico and US latino neighborhoods. It is also a common ingredient in tacos, burritos, and tortas. It can be served with small tortillas, onions, pineapple, cilantro and lime. When ready, the meat is then thinly sliced off the spit with a large knife. Usually pork, it is marinated with a blend of different spices and herbs, and then slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie called a Trompo (lit: spinning top), often with a pineapple on top. The dish is similar to the Turkish döner kebab, Shawarma, or Greek gyros. “Tacos al pastor” are also called “Tacos de Trompo” and “Tacos Arabes.”Īl pastor, literally meaning “Shepherd Style”, is a dish developed in Mexico City likely as a result of the adoption of spit-grilled meat brought by Lebanese immigrants. “Tacos al pastor” was served in Texas by the 1970s, but became a popular dish (especially in Austin) by the 1990s. “Cabrito al pastor” (goat) was first served in Texas in the 1940s. “Carne al pastor” (marinated pork) is cited in Spanish from at least 1903. “Al pastor” is meat carved from a vertical spit, often seaoned with pineapple, onions, cilantro and lime. Provecho! 1."Al pastor” means “shepherd style,” a term originating in northern Mexico. I offer my apologies to those serious contenders not represented here.įeel free to leave us a comment letting us know what we missed in 2016 so we can try it out for next year’s list. This list began with nearly 50 picks and took several gut wrenching rounds of omission to narrow it down to just 25 - my self imposed limit. These are simply “top bites” that I’ve personally enjoyed with friends, family, and colleagues during frequent visits to the region throughout 2016.Īs final disclaimer, there are top bites from past years that would have absolutely made this list if I’d had them again this year - I’m craving the carne asada at Tijuana’s Tortas Washmobile right now, and the tasting menu at Valle de Guadalupe’s Malvawas one of my top meals in 2015. This is not meant to be a definitive or a “best of” list by any means. This list covers those categories, and more.Ī Gringo in Mexico’s Top 25 Baja Bites 2016 are presented here in no particular order. Across the frontiera lies a plethora of culinary delights - from street food to fine dining, from traditional to modern Mexican, and from the unquestionably famous to the decidedly hip. The international border and gateway to Baja California is only twenty tasty minutes away by car. La Central: A Taste of Oaxaca in Baja’s Wine CountryĪs a San Diego-based writer of Mexican food, culture, and travel, I’m in a fortunate position both geographically and gastronomically. Manifesto to Protect the Valle de GuadalupeĬelebrating Baja California’s Women Winemakers Three Amigos Announce Worry-Free Tijuana Taco ToursĪ Gringo in Mexico’s Top 10 Baja Bites 2019 The Legend of the Baja California Fish Tacoįlour Tortillas Are Authentic Mexican CuisineįIRST LOOK: El Original Pastel de Crepas Tijuana Bistro I Almost Killed Latin America’s Best Chefīaja Window to the South Showcases Best of Baja CaliforniaĪ Gringo in Mexico Offers Fine Art & Accessories
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