Archive for July, 2010

Playa del Carmen Tequila Festival 2010

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
thumbnail Playa del Carmen Tequila Festival 2010

Tequila and the Carribean

Every year Playa del Carmen hosts a tequila festival. Even better it is completely free! What could be more fun than that? So eat a hearty meal and head on over to 16th street and 5th avenue where you will find a block of booths of different tequilas for you to sample. I have loved tequila even before I moved to Mexico and was thrilled when I experienced my first festival. Most people are aware of Don Julio, Petron and Jose Cuevo as tequilas but the festival features many new tequilas that you can buy on site. I sampled many new tequilas that I may not have bought because I did not know them. I was convinced to try a cream tequila (and I don’t like creamy drinks) which has inspired me to make a dessert out of it! It is called the Berry White…not after the musician but may inspire you to listen to him if you drink enough! We have hosted many a tequila tasting paired with foods and have many menu items that are tequila inspired such as one of my favorites, tequila lime shrimp.

Check out the festival which starts today, July 23rd to July 25th. See you there!
Stay tuned for some of my tequila inspired recipes. I may even get some ideas tonight!

By: Susan de Lima

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Posted in things to do, what's happening in Playa | No Comments »

Tacos al Pastor

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

by Monica Hartlief

When I first moved to Mexico it was to Merida, the capital and the largest city of the state Yucatan. This is also where I had my first encounter with Tacos al Pastor, shepherd’s style tacos. I was initially attracted to it because the big slab of meat on a vertical rotisserie reminded me of Shoarma, something I use to love to eat in Amsterdam as an after-drinking-before-going-home-to-sleep snack. But that’s another story.

Tacos al Pastor is a version of Shoarma however, and was introduced to Mexico by Libanese immigrants in Puebla in the 1930’s. Shoarma is made with lamb but here Mexico pork is used and instead of marinating the meat in herbs it is of course marinated in … chiles, mainly guajillo.

The meat for the tacos al pastor is cooked on a vertical rotisserie in front of a flame. The rotisserie is called a Trompo, sometimes the tacos are called tacos al trompo, and there is a piece of pineapple on the top of the spit. Much to my surprise the piece of pineapple is not just there for decoration or taste but it’s there because the juice of the pineapple contains an enzyme (bromelain) that helps make the meat very tender, thank you Wikipedia.

El Trompo 203x300 Tacos al Pastor

El Trompo - tacos al pastor

When the meat is ready it is thinly shaved off the spit with a large knife and put on small corn tacos. A “real” taquero (the guy that makes the tacos) will then cut a piece of pineapple off the top and will send it flying to catch it on the plate with a flourish. Next the tacos are sprinkled with onion and coriander and served. Then it’s your turn. I suggest you put some freshly squeezed lime juice on top and a hot salsa of your choice. Mmm, buen provecho.

Tacos al Pastor 300x225 Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al Pastor

There are many Mexican restaurants Playa where they serve tacos al pastor. You won’t find them on Fifth Avenue however you will have to be more adventurous and venture out to 30th Avenue for example where you will find my favorite El Pastorcito (Avenida 30 x Calle 30) and don’t come too early either because they won’t serve a single taco al pastor before 7 PM!

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Posted in recipes, restaurants and bars | 3 Comments »