Tacos árabes were the original tacos made in Puebla by a wave of Middle Eastern immigrants (they came mostly from Lebanon and Iraq after World War I) who knew how to roast meat on the vertical spits used for shawarma. The meat may have started out as lamb, common in the Middle East, though that’s so far in the past that no one can corroborate it. Tacos árabes, all will tell you, are made from pork layered with onions plus Mediterranean herbs and spices, spit-roasted, shaved off and served on pan árabe (a thin version of pita) with jocoque (a fermented dairy product that’s somewhere between thick buttermilk and yogurt). It wasn’t until later that tacos árabes morphed into the now-ubiquitous, now-crazy-popular tacos al pastor, herbs and spices replaced by red-chile adobo and pita replaced by corn tortillas.
Every place I’ve eaten tacos árabes in Puebla has offered them with the city’s iconic chipotle salsa. If you can’t find small, thin pitas, do what a lot of Poblanos do and serve flour tortillas. (Or just serve the meat with corn tortillas and call them, as they do in Puebla, tacos orientales.) Jocoque is always optional, though I love it on these tacos. Personally, I love them with a sprinkling of cucumber that’s cut into batons, but that’s just me.
Clearly, I’m not calling for a spit in this small-batch, homestyle recipe. You’ll get that classic flavor (though not the exact texture) by searing or grilling the meat.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
- 2 tablespoons table salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon EACH ground coriander seeds, ground cinnamon (preferably Mexican canela) and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the meat
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 20 small pitas (as thin as possible) or flour tortillas
- 1 cup jocoque (or thinned Greek yogurt), optional
- About 3/4 cup chopped onion and cilantro
- A generous cup chipotle salsa (recipe linked above)
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice and marinate the meat. Thinly slicing the meat will be much easier if you freeze the pork for 45 minutes or so to firm it. Cut into manageable pieces, then freeze. Using a very sharp knife, slice the pork crosswise into pieces that are about ¼ inch thick. Lay out the slices on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, coriander, cinnamon, pepper and cumin. Sprinkle the pork generously on both sides with the spice mixture. (You’ll have extra; store it in a jar at room temperature). Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Cook the onions. Set an extra-large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of oil and, when hot, scoop in the onion. Stir regularly until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, then set aside off the heat.
Grill/sear the meat and serve. Heat a grill pan or gas grill to medium or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are covered with ash and still quite hot. Spray or brush a light coating of oil over both sides of the pork slices. Working in batches if necessary, lay the pork on the grill pan or grill in a single layer and cook until richly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a cutting board and slice across the grain into ¼-inch pieces. Reheat the onion, scoop in the pork and toss to combine. Serve with the warm pita (or tortillas), jocoque (or yogurt), salsa, onions and cilantro for guests to make tacos al gusto.
