635860 Sat Jul 11 18:33:16 -0700 2009 13 31 Home Cooking 0 4850045 I recently bought Mark Miller's cookbook called Tacos. I'm attempting the Al pastor recipe, but I'm already thinking that it's not that authentic. Anyone used this recipe? Loved to hear about results and any tweaks... Sat Jul 11 18:33:16 -0700 2009 25251 hankstramm 1 4882939 Came out pretty well, just in case anyone was interested. Not authentic, but better than any that I've tried in San Francisco. Wed Jul 22 21:25:55 -0700 2009 4850045 25251 hankstramm 2 4884056 Very interested, can you paraphrase? Thanks! Thu Jul 23 09:55:20 -0700 2009 4882939 10283 Dax 1 4884112 What is "Authentic"? Other than a word that drives me nuts! Since there are probably 100's if not 1000's of variations on Al Pastor, which one qualifies as Authentic and why? Is there a governing body somewhere? G. Thu Jul 23 10:11:39 -0700 2009 4850045 120112 legourmettv 2 4884517 probably are thousands but to me authentic includes a marinade involving pineapple and slow cooking, preferably a giant hunk o' pork on a spit that is served sliced off and maybe seared on the grill a little. But if there is a governing body of al pastor, I would like to volunteer my tasting services. Thu Jul 23 12:04:18 -0700 2009 4884112 10283 Dax 2 4885933 There is only one variation of Al Pastor that matters--that readily available in Mexico City and Puebla. Besides that, it's all drek. And yes, there's a governing body--go to Mexico City, try an authentic al pastor and you'll know what I mean... Thu Jul 23 20:06:13 -0700 2009 4884112 25251 hankstramm 3 4886774 "Besides that, it's all drek." There are lots of immigrants from that area making al pastor all over that will disagree with that statement. And I'll happily eat their "drek" until I get to try the OG. Fri Jul 24 07:31:09 -0700 2009 4885933 10283 Dax 3 4886871 You've got it right. I salivate to think about the Tacos Al Pastor in DF (Cuernavaca has them, as well). The recipe seems to be under lock & key -- I've had some close attempts, but nothing really comes close. The only "secret" ingredient I'm 100% positive about is achiote. If this recipe doesn't have it, then it isn't authentic. Fri Jul 24 07:54:41 -0700 2009 4885933 223804 Reignking 4 4887592 So the purists here seem to believe that you might as well say "NO THANKS!" any time somebody (in a home or a restaurant or a taco truck) offers you a taco al pastor. This seems to me to be a very large load of bunk. We'd all be pretty limited in our eating choices if we stuck to only the authentic dishes of our neighborhood or city. So what if the tacos al pastor aren't authentic. Are they good even if they don't have the hallowed original ingredients found in the DF and Cuernavaca? If so, I say eat them con mucho gusto but don't tell the Taco Police. Fri Jul 24 11:19:43 -0700 2009 4886871 10245 oakjoan 5 4887819 Here! Here! Exactly! That was the point I was trying to make, albeit in my cryptic and sarcastic way. G. Fri Jul 24 12:24:55 -0700 2009 4887592 120112 legourmettv 6 4888117 The al pastor that they sell here is in the Bay Area is just pork adobado and is sometimes cooked on a spit. It's like if called a noodle soup with egg noodles and a dark rich broth Pho. What they serve may be tasty, but don't use a fake name for it. They don't call it that anywhere in Mexico--people would reject the misnomer. BTW--achiote has a very subtle flavor and is used to color things mainly. I agree that it seems like a definite ingredient, but the guajillo chiles--definite ingredient gives a similar hue.. Fri Jul 24 14:01:30 -0700 2009 4887819 25251 hankstramm 7 4979780 I recently bought some 'al pastor' pork from a carniceria called 'Michocan'. It was 'stir fry' size pieces of pork in an adobado like marinade, with the addition of sliced onion and pineapple. Quickly fried - taking care to not crowd it - produced a tasty dish. They might have used the scraps left over from slicing meat for adobado. If I recall the travel shows correctly, Mexico DF 'al pastor' grilled and sliced gyro style, and served with pineapple. Wed Aug 26 11:16:57 -0700 2009 4888117 12139 paulj 8 4980129 Sounds tasty. It's pretty much what the recipe in the Miller Taco book was, but with a lot less trouble. Wed Aug 26 12:40:21 -0700 2009 4979780 25251 hankstramm 5 4979256 Honestly? No. It just isn't as good. Trust me, I try and I try but I usually come away disappointed. Wed Aug 26 09:01:21 -0700 2009 4887592 223804 Reignking