Finally, in Mexico City, by the mid 1960s, slivers of grilled pineapple could be seen flying right into these corn tortilla tacos, severed and masterfully propelled from the top of the spinning grill by the knife of a taquero (taco master), to become what it is now known as “tacos al pastor” (shepherd’s style tacos). Later on, in the 1960s, the seasoning for the meat also changed to include pimentón (sweet paprika) and Mexican peppers, and the tacos were also stuffed with cilantro and onions. A version with layers of pork and onions had much better luck, especially with the choice of pita bread or corn tortillas, and served with salsa. This taco evolved from the original lamb recipe on pita because the choice of meat did not agree with the local – pedantic at times – taste preferences. First, in the 1930s, in Puebla, with the “taco árabe”, (“Arabian taco”), created by immigrants from the Middle East. In Mexico, there were two generations of wraps. The Greek style gyro became popular in New York City in the early 1970s Canada went a step forward when around 1973, also based on the Greek gyro, the “East Coast Donair”, was invented, adapting to the local taste by using beef instead of lamb, and by the creation of its one-of-a-kind sweet and garlicky creamy sauce, becoming the official food of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Later on, Turkish immigrants brought the doner to Europe Germany was the first to enjoy Döner Kebab in wrap form, in the mid 1960s. This doner kebap became popular at the beginning of the 20th Century, when small restaurants offering the rotating grilled meat started joining the ranks of food services in Constantinople (now Istanbul) from there, every region controlled by the Ottoman Empire developed its own version: the original meat was lamb, also traditional for gyros in Greece it was called kas, in Iraq and shawarma in Lebanon and Syria, amongst others, where it could be made either pressed or as a pile of thin cutlets from any meat, except pork. The general description of that dish is of an inverted cone of pressed and seasoned lamb, grilled vertically, from which cooked thin layers are “shaved” off the surface, as they brown. The history of the iconic Mexico City taco al pastor begins with the introduction of a vertical grill, which may be traced back to the doner kebap, created in Turkey in the 19th Century (then the lavish Ottoman Empire). Tacos al pastor translates as “shepherd’s style tacos”, probably from the countryside technique of cooking large pieces of meat (sometimes whole animals) on a spear, rotating over a heat source. Click here to go to printable recipe: Homemade Shepherd’s Style Tacos – Tacos al pastor caseros
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