Al Pastor Seasoning (pronounced ahl-pahs-tohr), is also called pastor seasoning, al pastor spices, or al pastor rub.

While Al Pastor tacos come from Mexico, that's not the complete story. In the early 1900's, Lebanese immigrants settled in Mexico and brought their time honored tradition of using spit-roasted meat, primarily lamb, with them.

To fully appreciate Al Pastor tacos, you have to dig deeper into Shawarma. The word shawarma is derived from the Turkish word "çevirme", pronounced "cha-veer-men", which translates to "turning." Throughout the Middle East, you can find a version of Shawarma everywhere the once powerful Ottoman Empire reined. The Greeks call their version of shawarma "gyro", the Turks "doner kebab" and the Iraqis "kas".

Between the late 1800's and the early 1900's approximately 40,000 immigrants left the rule of the Ottoman Empire (most from the region known today as Lebanon) and settled in Mexico. They naturally brought their food and style of cooking with them. Soon after their arrival in Mexico, small local restaurants run by some of these immigrants sprang up serving Shawarma.

During the 1960's, the cuisine morphed in the Central Mexico region, as 2nd generation children of these Lebanese migrants began opening up their own restaurants. They incorporated their own unique spin on this classic dish, which included spit roasting pork instead of the more traditional lamb. The unique marinating, cooking and serving of these pork tacos became known as Al Pastor. Al Pastor translates to "tacos shepherd style" as a hat tip to their origination and spit roasting style.

How to Cook with Al Pastor Taco Seasoning

You don’t need a vertical spit to successfully cook with our Al Pastor Taco Seasoning. Mix in with your favorite taco meat—including soy crumbles, if you’re meatless—and brown in some oil, with diced peppers and onions. Toss over strips of chicken or steak and grill for fajitas. Use as a dry rub for your favorite meat; we recommend using 1 tablespoon of Al Pastor seasoning per pound. Or make a marinade by combining with vinegar, broth or water, and pureed pineapple and onion. Marinate for ½ hour if cooking fish, 2 hours for chicken, 4 hours or longer if you use pork or beef. Add Al Pastor Taco Seasoning to cornbread. Toss over sliced zucchini or summer squash and roast, and add the roasted vegetables to a Mexican-style pasta with poblanos, corn, and cilantro.