Mexico Tacos
Tacos al pastor
The vertical spit is a visible clue in many al pastor preparations; toppings and recipes still differ.
Ask about Tacos al pastor
A taco shaped by its cooking
Meat from the trompo
A BBC Travel account describes al pastor as pork marinated with spices including achiote, roasted on the trompo — a turning spit — then carved to order into corn tortillas and topped with cilantro, onion and pineapple.
Those details give a useful picture of this style, not a rule for every taco sold under the name.
From lamb on a spit to pork on the trompo
A BBC account traces al pastor to the spit-roasted lamb that Lebanese and other Middle Eastern migrants brought to Mexico after the First World War: the taco árabe came first, then lamb gave way to pork and pitas to tortillas.
The broad outline is well documented, while the precise dates and first kitchens are not. Treat the story as a documented lineage, not a single invention.
How it is commonly eaten
Al pastor is street food: Mexico City's official street-food guide calls tacos al pastor the city's most famous street tacos and says you can order just one or two at a time. The trompo, when it is present, works as both cooking method and signpost.
Every al pastor taquería keeps its own marinade, the BBC notes — so the name does not promise one recipe or one set of toppings.
What a photo cannot settle
Pineapple, onion and cilantro are familiar accompaniments, but the serving in front of you may use different toppings or salsa, and the marinade recipe is the taquería's own.
This image is illustrative and does not document a particular taquería or recipe. Ask the cook if an ingredient or allergen matters to you.