Aug 17, 2017
Good times at #empellonalpastor the other day with the chef bae @mh_loto (at Empellón Al Pastor)
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Good times at #empellonalpastor the other day with the chef bae @mh_loto (at Empellón Al Pastor)
The Road to Al Pastor: An Exercise Against Futility
Consuming some 40 tacos al pastor daily, we embarked on a three-day death march involving dozens of taquerias across Mexico City. In spite of our decidedly singular mission, variety abounded. At some places, the rotating trompo spit was between 20 and 30 pounds, but other locations boasted ones as big as 250 or 500 pounds. We found tacos al pastor served with pineapple and without. Some taqueros rubbed the pork in a bright orange adobo, while others forwent that gilding. Onions were presented raw at some places, while elsewhere they were salvaged from the lard-laden bottom of the trompo.
Read more at First We Feast.
The Road to Al Pastor: Playing Chess Against Yourself
"We love everything about Mexican food, perhaps to a fault. From rustic to regional to modern and interpretative versions, we love trying to decipher it as a chefs, as well as devour it as eaters. Singularity is impossible to achieve if you can’t bring yourself to decide. So while some chefs take the attitude of “Fine Dining or Die” and others devote themselves to country cooking or bistro fare, we can’t pick just one aspect or style of Mexican cuisine to cook."
Read more from Chef Alex Stupak at First We Feast.
The Road to Al Pastor: A Matter of Timing
"I’m reminded of a Chinese proverb cited by Ming Tsai on his PBS show: 'If a grain of rice gets lonely, it will die.' Take a kernel away from a hot bowl of rice and it will quickly dry out, get cold, and harden around the edges. Similarly, freshly made tortillas kept together in a container stay warm and supple longer, but when one is taken away on a plate alone it starts to grow cold almost immediately, its edges curling up. This is the worst thing that can happen to a tortilla."
Read more from Chef Alex Stupak at First We Feast.
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Empellón al Pastor is coming soon. 132 St. Marks Place, NYC.
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