I Wanna Buy One

[Skiptown]

Does anyone know where I can buy a Tacos Al Pastor machine? i am not just looking for a vertical roaster but the real machine like you see in Playa. I have given up on finding anything like I had in Mexico here, good but not great. Most places just season the meat then fry it on a grill. I would like to buy one just to use in my back yard with friends. Any ideas?

[cuffedlinks]

Take plenty of pictures and then show them to a metal fabricator or sheet metal place....??

You'd think there must be some industry magazines that have this sort of thing available....I mean, they DO come from somewhere?

[BonnyW]

Is this what you are looking for?

Picture here

We call it a vertical rotisserie. It is also commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking.
Here is a link: http://www.shopping.com/xDN-specialty_kitchen_appliances-gyro_meat

Hope this helps you find what you are looking for!

[SarahB]

It doesn't seem all that difficult...probably the recipe that makes it. Have you even seen Fogon sticking the marinated mean on at 2pm when they open at 6ish?

Anyway, I thought you were talking about drinks...which is why I looked at this thread?!

Good luck!

[jtm1631]

Where do you live? I know here in Chicago, most taco joints have al pastor that is just flavored pork and than heated on the skillet, but there are some places that have a vertical rotisserie.

Perhaps if you give your location some local peeps can help you find an authentic taco al pastor.

I do agree with SarahB however, that the key is the ingredients as I have had some very good non-authentic tacos al pastor and some not so good ones from a rotisserie.

[JAH]

Holy Mole, BonnyW, those are expensive machines!!

Interestingly, Tacos al Pastor literally means “shepherd’s-style tacos” and are a Mexican adaptation of Middle-Eastern spit-grilled meat, brought by immigrants from Lebanon. Although originally made with lamb, most are now made with thinly sliced pork, marinated in herbs and spices, and stacked on a vertical spit in the form of a trompo, or “top”, so called because of its resemblance to a child’s toy top, with the narrow end on the bottom and a slice of pineapple at the top. The meat is turned in front of a vertical gas flame, shaved off as the outside gets done, and made into tacos.

[Dallas91]

Originally Posted by JAH

Holy Mole, BonnyW, those are expensive machines!!

Lowest I could find is about $700 US on ebay using "Vertical Broiler"

[Loree]

This one is $525 right now on EBay with Buy it Now Option and cooks 5-12 lbs. of meat.

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by Loree

This one is $525 right now on EBay with Buy it Now Option and cooks 5-12 lbs. of meat.

Wow, that's a lot of money for a cabinet, with two holding stripes of strong steel, an axis, and some refractary tiles plus a gas burner. Here in Mexico they are not mass made, a lot are custom made to the taste of the restaurant owner.

And the recipes are tightly keep by their jealous owners.

On this electrical model I wouldn´t trust, you need the flame to get the flavor,

[Skiptown]

I agree that the best I had were from a tall vertical rotisary and had a wood fuel firebox on one side. As the wood burns and ashes fall out the bottom they add more wood on top. I think going to talk to a metal fabricator friend and see about making one . It's for personal use only so I can afford to screw it up a few times making it work. Did a lot of fabricating when I was farming. I think the hard part of it will be getting the motor and gearing right.
So how many revolutions per minute do the al pastor machines in Mexico make? I mean the ones you see in downtown Playa. If anyone either knows or could count one for me this is a starting point. Thanks for all of the great post of help on this.

[jx2]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

I agree that the best I had were from a tall vertical rotisary and had a wood fuel firebox on one side. As the wood burns and ashes fall out the bottom they add more wood on top. I think going to talk to a metal fabricator friend and see about making one . It's for personal use only so I can afford to screw it up a few times making it work. Did a lot of fabricating when I was farming. I think the hard part of it will be getting the motor and gearing right.
So how many revolutions per minute do the al pastor machines in Mexico make? I mean the ones you see in downtown Playa. If anyone either knows or could count one for me this is a starting point. Thanks for all of the great post of help on this.

I would guess one or two. There pretty darn slow.

[jeffandbecky]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

I agree that the best I had were from a tall vertical rotisary and had a wood fuel firebox on one side. As the wood burns and ashes fall out the bottom they add more wood on top. I think going to talk to a metal fabricator friend and see about making one . It's for personal use only so I can afford to screw it up a few times making it work. Did a lot of fabricating when I was farming. I think the hard part of it will be getting the motor and gearing right.
So how many revolutions per minute do the al pastor machines in Mexico make? I mean the ones you see in downtown Playa. If anyone either knows or could count one for me this is a starting point. Thanks for all of the great post of help on this.

Try using a rotary motor for a grill mounted vertically rather than horizontally. Mount the motor on top and use a sheet metal shield to keep the grease away from your pivot point/bearing at the base of the unit. You should be able to find one at any Home Depot or Lowes.

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

Did a lot of fabricating when I was farming. I think the hard part of it will be getting the motor and gearing right.
So how many revolutions per minute do the al pastor machines in Mexico make? I mean the ones you see in downtown Playa. If anyone either knows or could count one for me this is a starting point. Thanks for all of the great post of help on this.

Skip the motor completely. All around the country the rotation is done by hand. Because it completely depends on one thing: the flame you are using.

If there are lots of customers the cook will turn the heat on and while slicing the front part, the back will get cooked. As the guy goes cutting slices he rotates the thing a little bit and another part gets into the flame. When business is slow, the flame goes down and so the meat can stay still for a longer time.

Also, if you are making it for your personal use, you don´t need to invest that much, How many guests are you willing to feed at one time?

[Skiptown]

Thanks Jesus, you are the Mexican food expert! Like you said "think simple" and it would be just for friends and family . I really apreciate your posts and info on food. I have learned volumes and spent way too much time reading the great recipes. I have seen so many photos of mexican food that I now find myself being a bit more bold in trying new dishes.

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by Skiptown

Thanks Jesus, you are the Mexican food expert! Like you said "think simple" and it would be just for friends and family . I really apreciate your posts and info on food. I have learned volumes and spent way too much time reading the great recipes. I have seen so many photos of mexican food that I now find myself being a bit more bold in trying new dishes.

My pleasure. The recipes are not mine, I just found those that seemed more authentic or more widespread.
Pictures, I need to take better pictures, those are ok just for illustration purposes, but not as apeticing as the real thing.