Recreating The BEST TACO I've Ever Had | Tacos Al Pastor

[@WilsonsBBQ]

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[@Sunshinest8]

I’m Mexican watching someone in the UK make my favorite tacos from my favorite taco spot, that’s awesome! I frequented the original Tacos El Gordo in Tijuana MX, and in San Diego CA when they opened their first US location. I miss them, no tacos like this where I live now. Thank you for showing me how to make them at home!

[@fluxilla]

stunning execution on the corn tortillas. your technique is legit. great job, abuelitas of the world are probably smiling upon you.

[@lewisclarke001]

It's really refreshing to see a good UK BBQ account... little tidbits like "you can pick this up in tesco" is awesome - nothing worse than a big US BBQ channel saying "I picked this 302820428 kg brisket from my local supermarket" - we don't do that hear buddy!

[@MatthewBakke]

But what about the 5 “gallon” jug of spices and seasoning?

[@jesperwall839]

I would like to see that 300 million kilo brisket, even if it was at a local American supermarket 😂

[@citizenatlrge]

Look, I already said my piece in here.. Facts are that Texas competes w/itself and others to make the biggest damn things you ever did see. It's fuckin' weird. But, that's what they do. People pay for it. It's just business. ugh.. So, you either get busy livin' or dyin'. Still gonna be weird when you get back. None of us can reduce ourselves into another person's existence.. And so, everything is weird when you think about it from another person's perspective.. ie- You throw paint on someone wearing a fur coat. What happens next? To you? What do they do? They might just buy or have another one, and never give you or your words another thought.. Did you save anything?

[@michaelmccluskey1155]

@@citizenatlrge What are you going on and on about? All I saw was blah blah blah

[@BOMBOCLARRRT]

Irrelevant island

[@LaurenShirley]

Another Texas native here. I didn’t know what I was gonna see when I heard a British accent, on a BBQ account, prepping very Tex mex style cuisine but I was PLEASANTLY surprised! This is one of my go to orders at the cash only taco truck in my neighborhood. You know your stuff! Subscribed and ready to see what you make next! I own one of the metal pans you used to assemble the meat. For those who don’t have a charcoal grill or smoker like he used here, a standard kitchen oven will fit that pan on the lowest oven rack. You do miss out on the smoky charcoal flavor, so a second sear in a pan would definitely be desirable if you can’t grill outdoors in the first place.

[@elverdaderojavier]

There's nothing Tex-Mex about tacos al pastor. It's Mexican food based on the shawarma recipe brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants a hundred years ago.

[@elverdaderojavier]

There's nothing Tex-Mex about tacos al pastor. It's Mexican food based on the shawarma recipe brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants a hundred years ago.

[@beefybologna]

Damn brother! You did those tacos justice! I'm Mexican/American from El Paso TX and I would be honored and privileged to eat your tacos. The salsa is great but I would use avocados because I love them that's just me. And for those that don't know coriander is cilantro. Oh and great job on the tortillas.

[@J.C.Clements]

As a Texan I take good tacos for granted. In Houston they are literally on almost every street corner. Great job from the cook on the meat to the properly dressed taco! Keep up the good work!

[@arniehammer69]

Central Texan here. Houston tacos are decent at best. The best tacos are Central Texas, Southern Texas, and Western Texas.

[@dengar6971]

Wilson with a Chud Box is just the greatest thing ever!

[@LordJHouse]

I've watched several Al Pastor videos, but this one is the best. I'm seriously into Al Pastor and have made it multiple times, but it never came out like that of the local Taqueria. I'm confident this next time will be a success. Thank you!

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Wow, thank you!

[@nickrolfe8547]

Seriously, can never give you enough credit for making recipes that are accessible to those in the UK!! Love this, definitely my next creation

[@rojorampage9994]

Mexican / Texan here and I want to say that you sir did al pastor justice. Bravo…

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Appreciate it! That means a lot!

[@harrythehorsebbq]

You outdid yourself with this one Dave! Genius idea to use the chudbox in a different way. A lot of effort in this one and definitely worth it! Inspiring me to make tacos!

[@Gunny_]

I've been smoking my al pastor on a pellet smoker for a few years, my go to marinade is Pati Jinich's "Achiote Adobo Marinade", the citrus juices brings a really nice flavor into it. Some tips I picked up or developed along the way: -This works well with full bone in or boneless pork shoulders, I leave them "whole". Still slice it, but don't make any slice go all the way through the meat and fatcap, you can use wood skewers to reform the meat if it doesn't want to hold its shape in the smoker. -Get fresh pineapple marinate sliced pineapple with the pork and then part way through the cook, put the pineapple onto the smoker. When cutting the pineapple, try to cut the skin in large singular cuts for the next step -If you're using a pellet smoker where you might have a hot spot directly below the meat, first put the pineapple skin on your grates where you pork will be placed, leafy side down, fruit side up. Then put your pork shoulder onto the pineapple skin. This helps protect the bottom of the pork from burning/cooking too fast if you have a hot spot. When I had this issue I started with fat side up, then 2/3 of the way through remove the pineapple skin and flip so fat cap is now at the bottom to help it render from the more direct heat, and let the side of the pork that was touching the pineapple skin crisp up a bit. If you do that, you don't need that special cooking plate, and you can get more cooked and marinated surface on the pineapple

[@august742]

One thing they do at Tacos El Gordo is kind of half fry the tortillas in the grease from the meat. I would fry the meat in batches, scoot the meat over and fry the tortillas in the grease. It adds a kind of chew to the tortillas. Makes a big difference!

[@dalesmth1]

Yet another Texan here. That Al Pastor is spot on. If you have a steamer, you can steam your salsa veggies. It’s a bit unorthodox, but it retains more flavor. Roasting or grilling is more traditional, and brings out the natural sugars.

[@CoolJay77]

That looks extremely delicious and you nailed it when you fried them after slicing, that most fail to do.. The whole concept of Al Pastor, Shawarma and Gyros is to serve charred slices. The one thing that I'd do different is not to crowd the pan in order to create some maillard reaction. A quick dip in a deep fryer also works.

[@damoose1829]

This looks absolutely awesome Dave. Thank you for sharing!!!👍👍✌✌

[@witt2010roll]

Made this last night. It was excellent. Family loved it. Thanks for sharing.

[@Adam_B]

I started off watching this and trying to make fun of a Brit trying to BBQ anything. You won me over by letting your cooking do the talking. Nice work sir, you have a fan now!

[@shawn4664]

you nailed it man. i'm also obsessed with al pastor and i learned a few things from your video so thanks.

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@KevinFlatt]

This is such an awesome way to use the Chud Box!!!

[@joeclark7082]

I'm from Texas and I have had many great Al pastor tacos and yours look awesome. I love how you use the chud box by placing the pork right down in the coal box. That's a Great idea and very creative. I'll have to try this recipe with my kettle.

[@CaptnSMAK]

Awesome video. I have made a fair few of your recipes over the years (the last pork belly tacos being my absolute favourite... even though it has now given me a Yellow Bird HS addiction). I am going to treat myself, and my wife of course, to this recipe during the Christmas break. Thank you!

[@jamesgunn5358]

I have a little chamber sealer and an external. I also use the wevac roll and it’s amazing, but only for my external sealer. One of the benefits of the chamber sealer is precut non-embossed bags that are much cheaper per bag than the roll ends up being. I’d definitely recommend the wevac roll for anyone with an external sealer, but for chamber I’d find chamber specific precut bags to save quite a bit of money in the long run. For my chamber sealer I got 1,000 bags for $60 shipped at webstaurant (in the US). Hopefully wevac starts offering some non-embossed bags as a cheaper alternative, unless I just missed them.

[@jimmym02]

Sweet Maria. ***cutting the ziplock bag *** is a game changer for me! the clear wrap always folds on me!

[@MadPick]

Dave, I bought the Wevac 12 vacuum sealer recently and I love it! I definitely recommend it.

[@FernZepeda]

Wow, excellent execution. As a Mexican, i have seen far worse excuses for al pastor. You really showed your passion for this, and I'm proud and thankful for your tacos. When is next Taco night at your place? I'll be there!

[@bigums4795]

Tacos al gordo is AWESOME! You picked a mighty fine taco joint.

[@peterbatt7169]

Legit. Looks like a great recipe. Props for fresh made everything.

[@davecarr5892]

This looks great. For greater authenticity, make your salsa with tomatillos, jalapeños, and onions. The bright nature of this green salsa is a nice contrast to the pork

[@Mike20464]

Great job! Definitely wish I had one right now! I think I'll give that a shot.

[@martink9785]

Man this looks so good! Lots of useful tips and good product placement. When the mrs sees this, she’s going to want one of those vacuum sealers! Glad I subscribed

[@theyreMineralsMarie]

Ah-chee-oh-teh You were pretty close. And the tacos look legit. My favorite is Sopes de Al Pastor.. Fresh masa is such an integral part of Mexican cuisine.

[@jamesgunn5358]

Looks so freaking good. My wife has been begging me to make this and it’s finally gonna happen. It’s on

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Thank’s James! Appreciate you watching!! Looking forward to seeing how yours comes out

[@juanfabulous]

Had a go at these on the weekend with chicken thighs. Absolutely fantastic!

[@natewalls4850]

I think you've been hanging out with Bradley Robinson a lot because this video feels like one of his, lots of detail and steps and making things fresh and talking about the process. I LOVE IT! All your missing is a doggie taste test. 😂 Good on ya mate.

[@jkwob]

Subscribed! Great to see a UK BBQ account, will be making this as soon as the Mexican ingredients get delivered haha

[@johnr.5706]

That looks absolutely delicious! My favorite style of taco as well.

[@bierbrauer11]

Just one extra step up front… gently toast the dried peppers on a dry skillet until fragrant before tossing into the water. Formerly lived in TX for 20yr but now in Washington and having to be self sufficient on the BBQ and TexMex fronts. Cheers!

[@MikeTaffet]

Ideally you’d cut the outermost bits off directly onto the tortilla, and then keep it cooking so each layer is touched by the flame

[@davidweiss8710]

Looked really good! Looking forward to you doing carnitas some time on here.

[@brandon-shreds]

Looks very legit. The green salsa looks very easy to make and is also my go-to at taco trucks.

[@Bocadelmortis]

One thing I've not done yet...making me want to do it now! I would say that after 20 years of vacuum packing, over filling and moisture on the seal line can still be a problem within a chamber vac! As you did, keeping the seal line clean and dry is the way. First time I used a chamber vac, I tried doing hot mash as I didn't know any better.....dear lord!

[@king4me200020001]

Great job. I will be making those for dinner tomorrow. Thanks.

[@keletienne7947]

That was a super clever use of the zippy in the tortilla press. There was a huge disturbance in the force though when you sub’d a cup of oil for the genuine thing - an avocado and a little water to desired consistency 😢

[@zickiea172]

Oh my gosh, this looks so so good!

[@DoghouseBBQ]

What a great video mate! Cant wait to give this a try!

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Muntjacpastor

[@the13lordsofgaming16]

Amazing to see a great UK video on Mexican food!

[@RealJMAC]

The only time I visited Vegas I had to get Tacos El Gordo, The Tacos Al Pastor was amazing.

[@ramontorres2828]

Come to San Diego, California the originals in Tijuana second one is here in San Diego. My favorite too.

[@sljoseph74]

Love, love, love El pastor tacos! Gonna give this one a go.

[@justinwhitlow3613]

Amazing job. I need to recreate this on my Weber Kettle.

[@brant2270]

You made my mouth water with that Hello from the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia USA

[@geoff6203]

Pork shoulder steaks are so good. So underrated. Amazing dish! Thabks for this

[@kq2799]

Navigating inside Vegas Tacos El Gordo is a feat unto itself!

[@stonedune803]

Always loved taking new people there and seeing them try to understand the system. Their AlPastor and Lengua are always amazing.

[@johnnyalegria]

I live in San Diego where adobada(Al pastor) is king and I am very impressed with your video! Subscribing now

[@groverla]

Love the look of this!!!

[@paulnilandbbq]

Loved this video mate. Really good watch

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Cheers, Paul, appreciate that a lot!

[@paulnilandbbq]

@ I also picked up the taco tray and asking Santa for the vac sealer!

[@TheScotsmann]

You mentioned the best taco you ever tasted was in Las Vegas. Lots of great restaurants in Vegas that’s for sure. Best tacos in US are definitely closer to the border, Mexican street vendors. If you would like to taste the best Al pastor tacos, head for San Quintin, Baja Norte, Mexico. 5 of us ate our fill for $20 when heading back to Los Angeles after a Baja fishing trip. We all got Montezumas Revenge 😮but we swore every one of us would eat there again tomorrow lol, they were that good 😂 We all did 3 months later, just never ate the radishes as we deduced that was the issue, washed with tap water, which is not safe to drink by foreigners. No digestive issues second time. 😅 I’ve came across little roadside grilles down in Baja, cooking pork hearts and chopping them up with carnitas and chicharrones 🤤 Maybe try a heart recipe and share it? Mexican food in general, is one of the best cuisines restaurants ever, if done correctly. Keep up the great content. It’s nice to see someone in the UK that has a clue regarding bbq prep and the concept of slow cooking and breaking down meat proteins into delicious looking and tasting food. Thanks. Ingredients, including VW sized briskets, ribs and poultry are all easy to access here in Southern California, close to Mexico and having millions of Latinos living here in the city.

[@brettmoore3194]

Bravo, could you do a beef version with different marinade and dipping sauce🎉🎉🎉

[@kevcleaver]

Been using the wevac chamber sealer for a couple of years.wouldn't be without it now. Not seen the roll box before.

[@TheDavey67]

I am a Mexican/American from Texas and just wanted to tell you that you did a very good job on this and it was very athentic! This is the same thing you get here in Texas and in Mexico as well!

[@aldovega4209]

Good job there, but I have to say that If the best taco you’ve ever had was in Las Vegas then you still have not tried a real Taco. Go to Mexico City and it will blow up your mind. There is a very traditional street taco here in Mexico called Taco de Suadero. Suadero is Brisket but cooked for a long time in its own fat (a confit) that would be interesting for you to try I think. Remember a Taco is a holly Trinity: Protein + Tortilla + Salsa. When you go to Mexico you will realize how different the tortilla tastes and how important is to have a good salsa.

[@motoringnation]

Looks amazing, definitely going to make this some time.

[@dsantos8066]

You killed it man. And you make better tortillas than me!!!

[@coreytohme9861]

They are "sort of like a shawarma" because it was originated by Lebanese immigrants living in Mexico using their known cooking techniques and spices. I love original authentic dishes, but this one of those that was made better by blending multiple cultures' techniques.

[@richarddiaz6424]

Yeah, these are still called "tacos arabes" in Puebla and are mostly served on flour tortillas to mimic the pitas/flatbread the Lebanese immigrants brought with them

[@coreytohme9861]

@@richarddiaz6424 I did not know that. Thanks.

[@MrFranKane]

They look fning amazing, gonna try tomorrow. but start today with marinade the meat

[@eamobyrne1]

Your hilarious Brad. I'm watching this video whilst drinking Guinness in Gravediggers pub. I know you know 😜

[@firemaffia]

Didn't look too vacuumed though 😂. Real nice el pastor!

[@GavM]

Amazing Dave!

[@michaelduncan2759]

Beautiful job Dave. Another great video, question: why no fat in the corn tortillas? I know they use it in flour tortillas but was simply curious.

[@richardhurst1969]

Definitely going to try this one!

[@svgitana2499]

You did a great job with your Taco al Pastor my friend! You need to go to Mexico City to try the real thing! All these “other” tacos al pastor don’t even taste like the real thing! Trust me, I was born and raised in Mexico City and live in the States now, and there isn’t a SINGLE taco al pastor anywhere in the world that comes close to the REAL al pastor!! Glad you like our food, but as a chef I highly think you should take a month long trip to Mexico to try all of our Mexican food, states like Oaxaca, Puebla. Guadalajara, Mexico City, Yucatán have some of the best food in the world! 👍🏻

[@MrReman2u]

Okay, I'm on my way...with a plate and a smile! 😁

[@beanbaka]

Nice niche in background 👍

[@darrenburnell23]

These look incredible 🤤

[@BASHirNimry]

Tacos El Gordo is 🔥

[@danielmiddleton8173]

Nice! Who needs a fancy vertical rotisserie thingamajig when you have a Chudbox?

[@erukuish]

To do this on a pellet grill, what temp and time would you aim for?

[@DavidWinge-e2h]

If you were doing this in a regular kitchen oven, what temperature would you cook that meat at?

[@Hammertime054]

Looks the absolute nuts👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😎

[@One-foot-skank]

Looks great man

[@scottrobinson4062]

Looks awesome!

[@eltonsbbq-pit]

Looks darn good! Cheers from Norway

[@some5672]

the enzymes in canned juices are actually defunct by the pasteruziation process. the only tenderization will happen is from the acidity

[@jgedwardsv]

UK dude using a chudbox from TX. Love it

[@D8V3]

Can you keep the seeds in the chillies for extra heat or is there another reason to why you remove them?

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Oh you definitely can. If I was making this purely for myself, I’d have left them in. It’s just too spicy for my wife if I do. Just make sure to blend it real well

[@gt-dl5ov]

Hi where do you get your charcoal from?

[@Paul-lk1ot]

Do you think there would be much difference if using a horizontal spit?

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Absolutely not! If I had a rotisserie - I’d probably use that more often that this method!

[@davidshepherd7750]

Slight edit: coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, the leaves and stems of which you were using for your sauce and final garnish. (I'll admit that perhaps it's a regional distinction, swapping the one name for the other, that I'm not aware of.)

[@WilsonsBBQ]

Agreed!! However, in the U.K. we don’t use the term cilantro at all. We refer to them as coriander and coriander seed.

[@waynerob11]

crazy how good those look, we need smellivision

[@stevenstove6222]

Would love to try that

[@jamesthomson5774]

Looks so goood!

[@peteropel7214]

Really should make that green sauce CHOMP 😅

[@ciejaygear]

El Gordos rocks !

[@mattstraight8179]

Gr8 work … color me inspired-Str8

[@robertmcdonald9834]

looks great!

[@ShinjukuSensei]

This is the "we hate coriander" button 😂

[@noduffers4470]

Amazing. Subscribed!

[@Beyond50gamer]

El Gordo in Vegas is the best!