Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al pastor are corn tortillas filled with pork that has been marinated in chillies and achiote, stacked on a vertical spit and shaved off as it cooks. The spit came to Mexico with Lebanese immigrants; the marinade and the tortilla are Mexican.

What it really is

Thin slices of pork are marinated in dried chillies, achiote and spices, then stacked on the trompo with a pineapple at the top. The outside roasts as the spit turns and is shaved directly into a tortilla, often with a piece of pineapple cut down after it.

The technique is shawarma; the dish is not. Al pastor shares its spit with shawarma and döner, and nothing else — the meat, the marinade, the tortilla and the pineapple are its own.

How it is served

• Two small tortillas per taco, stacked, eaten by hand.
• With onion, coriander, lime and salsa added by the guest.
• From a street stand, standing up, in the evening.

How to write it on the menu

• Say the meat is pork — the name does not.
• Pineapple is part of the dish, not a garnish; guests who dislike it will ask.
• Corn tortillas contain no wheat, but check what the salsa was thickened with.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.