Al Pastor Is It Pork
Al Pastor Is It Porkの全貌を分かりやすくまとめてご紹介します。
Al pastor is pork. Specifically, it’s usually boneless pork shoulder or loin. The meat is marinated in a glorious, messy blend of dried chilies, garlic, vinegar, and—brace yourself—achiote paste.
Achiote is what gives it that vibrant, almost radioactive red-orange color. It’s not fake. It’s nature doing its best impression of a sunset.
And then, the pièce de résistance: a pineapple. Yeah, that sweet, spiky fruit sits right on top of the spinning meat. It’s not a garnish. It’s a co-conspirator.
A Quick History Detour (Don’t Worry, It’s Fun)
Here’s where it gets wild. Al pastor is basically the love child of Mexican and Lebanese food. Wait, what? Yes, really.
Lebanese immigrants came to Mexico in the early 20th century. They brought shawarma—that stacked, vertical meat thing. Mexicans took one look, said “I can work with this,” and swapped the lamb for pork.
They added chiles. They added pineapple. They called it tacos al pastor. And a legend was born. So it’s pork, but with a passport full of stamps.