Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al pastor are what happened when the vertical spit arrived in Mexico: Lebanese immigrants brought shawarma early in the twentieth century, and by mid-century the capital's taquerias had transformed it - lamb swapped for pork marinated brick-red with achiote and chiles, stacked into the spinning trompo cone and crowned with a whole pineapple. The performance is half the dish. A good taquero carves ribbons of crisp-edged pork straight onto a small corn tortilla and, at the showier stands, flicks a slice of pineapple off the top of the spit through the air into the taco. Ordered 'con todo' they come with onion and cilantro, finished at the salsa bar, and eaten standing up in quantity - al pastor is evening and late-night food, at its best when the trompo has been turning for hours and the pavement crowd is deep.

What you actually see

• The trompo - the achiote-red cone turning against the flame.
• The pineapple flick - the taquero's airborne party trick.
• The salsa bar - reds and greens from mild to reckless.
• The pavement crowd - the standing late-night ritual in full swing.

When to go

Year-round, but this is an evening dish - trompos hit their prime after dark, and the busiest stands stay lively past midnight. Weekend nights show the culture at full tilt.

Honest expectations

Follow the crowds: high turnover means the spit stays fresh and the pork crisp. Order in twos and threes and keep going rather than committing early. Salsas escalate faster than they look - taste before ladling.

Nearby

The historic centre, Roma and Condesa's taqueria streets and the whole grazing city.