Skip The Trompo: Make These Al Pastor Kebabs

Plate of al pastor kebabs tacos with garnishes and fresh tortillas
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!
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JOHN MILLER |

Sounds delicious!
Question. How much pineapple? It seems to be missing from the ingredient list.

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