Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>
" The red adobada is used primarily layered in the upside down pyramid with
> flame on one side and the meat sliced as it is cooked to fill tacos. One
> of the best ways to enjoy a taco! Pork is normally not used as a steak nor
> cooked like carne asada. Pork is usually overcooked for obvious reasons" .
This is an interesting passage however; the use of the word "primarily"makes
it a misnomer. Red chile Adobada is used in many marinade applications of
pork, beef as well as chicken and not just "primarily" tacos al pastor.
Ibelieve that the "upside down pyramid with flame on one side and the meat
sliced as it is cooked to fill tacos" is the vertical rotisserie or the
"Trompo" (the toy top) which Wayne is refering to? Also interesting is that
this "fusion" of the Greek Gyro or the Turk Doner was brought to Mexico in
the 1930s by Lebanese immigrants so that one is pretty far from
"TRADITIONAL" Mexican and that it is highlighted by a pineapple on top of
the top.
I also disagree that (a) "pork is not normally used as a steak or cooked
like carne asada" nor (b)" Pork is usually overcooked for obvious reasons"
(a) Pork can be and often is cooked in exactly the same manners as Beef
steaks, maybe not as rare or as a steak tartare perhaps, but Pork chops
are grilled all over the US. They are nothing but steak cuts of meat. In
the South, even Ham steaks, both fresh and cured, are grilled up all the
time.
(b) Interesting fact about the Trompo or Gyro style cooking technique is
here in the States most will not pass most health code ordinances because
the meat is not cooked to 145F internal. Some locales mandate pork must be
165 (137F is considered safe scientifically). Plus it has to be "held" to
that temp while waiting to be served. IN this method the juices of the raw
center flow out and down over the cooked outer side. Sometimes this meat
"TOP" is a coarsely ground meat(s) with spices, like a sausage if you will,
then frozen in shape and then brought out to cook as needed. Grinding meat
in itself is other set of health issues for harmful E-coli contamination.
This style is certainly not overcooked, especially when in a busy period,
hence the health code prohibition. Whether Mexico has a problem with
Trichinosis or not? I am sure their problems are similar to our problems
of people eating feral hogs and pork raised outside commercial systems. As
well, we will be exporting Live Hogs to Mexico to be slaughtered and then
reintroduced as packaged meats all with the blessing of the FDA so
apparently it is not much of a concern. You are at greater risk of colon
cancer from eating meat than getting a parasite or stomach induced disease.
Pork is way overcooked here in the States because of old stereotypical think
and now days way too lean to overcook it because of these old myths.
It is hard to translate subtle and regional differences in Recado, Adobada,
Mole and Salsa into the English vernacular, but we Gringos do it with the
gusto that we have in defining American History, in other words pretty much
from our perspective. Not to say that is good or bad, everyone needs a
reference point but traditionalist sometimes split hairs while other want to
dulterate
Back to the al Pastor, not necessarily so, now days it can mean marinated
thin sliced grilled meats thrown in a taco. Just as the definition of the
meat Carnitas is a bit fuzzy now days. I have wanted to see how many
locales in the States allow the use of a vertical rotisserie these days. I
would think Greek town in NY, Detroit, and Chicago would be, as well as
Miami may have some still operating, but that LA would be down on it because
of their Avant-Garde trends as well as would the subtle Mexican prejudice.
Dude do you have legally operated vertical rotisserie in your area? If not,
what does the butcher that makes this steak have in mind? Certainly there is
a reason he uses this cut? Personally, I think you are on the right track
by making and eating them as you do, no need for apologizes to tradition you
instinctively knew as a grill master.
some quick searches for adobada revealed:
http://www.answers.com/topic/adobada
http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-...0/000136.shtml
http://www.biggreenegg.com/recipes/n...s/pork0251.htm
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=...rco%20adobadas ( a
Diana Kennedy recipe, BTW, I have already given Bayless' recipes for this,
Reed Hearon has some as well)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...174/ai_3751156
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/diabete...dobada&lang=sp
or
http://translate.google.com/translat...%26lan g%3dsp
( note the 160 F temp in this one, Uof I)