Tacos Arabes. This traditional recipe will give you the authentic flavors from one of the most popular tacos in the City of Puebla, Mexico. Pork cooked with herbs & spices, in a thin flatbread that resembles a pita bread.

The History behind Tacos Arabes

Arab cultural influences run very deep in Mexico. And even though those numerous manifestations might not be very evident at first sight, the more one looks, the more those influences are revealed until we see them all around us. Some appear in the exquisite designs of glazed pottery that grace the dining table or are adorned on the walls themselves, the product of Arabic master craftsmen.

In the 1800s amid ferocious political harassment and forced displacement, many Christian Arabs resolved to flee and find refuge in other Christian countries around the world, including Mexico, Arab immigrants legally entered Mexico, mainly refugees from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, most of whom settled in the central state of Puebla, although some smaller groups chose to settle in locations such as Baja California and Mexico City.

It is estimated that between 1871 and 1976, a total of 113,201 Arab citizens moved permanently and became simply known as “Arabs”, a term of endearment rather than a pejorative.

Tacos Arabes are served with a chipotle sauce

The Arab diaspora also brought their delicious culinary heritage, most notably the ubiquitous and humble kebab that was enthusiastically reinvented in Mexico. The idea itself of roasting meat on a naked flame wasn’t unknown in Mexico, but the introduction of the Lebanese shawarma or vertical rotating roaster was a great innovation for the country.

However, the method of serving kebabs, sliced roasted lamb in a round, soft and hot pita with a series of strong garnishing was too similar to a Mexican taco, and soon they were simply renamed as tacos Árabes.

Tacos Arabes Taquero

This traditional Lebanese way of cooking a heavily marinated lamb meat originally included spices such as caraway, cardamom, nutmeg, and ginger, but due to their scarcity and elevated prices in Mexico, they were simply left out, creating a new taste experience altogether.

Another change involved substituting lamb for pork, the latter being highly popular and common in Mexico, which was supplemented with a fiery and spiced chipotle salsa. Unwittingly, a culinary institution was born, and this proud tradition is particularly significant in the beautiful city of Puebla, where numerous Arab taquerias are hugely popular.

Rest assured that this tacos árabes recipe has not only been cross-checked with many master taqueros from the best and most traditional poblano taquerias, to ensure not only the quality but also the authenticity of this grand dish.

This recipe for Tacos Arabes is a Guest Post by Rocio Carvajal

About Rocio Carvajal:

Rocio Carvajal is a Mexican food history writer, cook and podcaster, through her work she unveils the inspiring and fascinating cultural history of Mexico’s national cuisine, a heritage she defines as an infinite source of inspiration, knowledge, and pleasure.

Through SABOR! This is Mexican food and Pass the Chipotle Podcast she offers new perspectives of multicultural dialogue, opening up new discussions about traditions, evolution and better ways to understand one of the world’s most celebrated cuisines.

How to make Tacos Árabes

Timing

For the tacos Arabes meat

Marinade for 2 hours

Cook: 15 minutes

Arab salsa

Prep time: 10 minutes

This recipe makes enough meat and salsa to prepare 12-14 tacos

To make the Arabes tacos meat

Ingredients:

500g – 1 lb pork steak, sliced thinly in strips

Marinade for the Tacos Árabes Meat

2 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoon standard white vinegar
1 large Spanish onion, sliced in thin wedges
A handful of finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoon oregano
4 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
Generous pinch of salt
4 tablespoon cooking oil

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients, except for the oil, in a bowl or re-sealable bag. Make sure the meat is covered evenly in the marinade and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight if possible.
To cook, first drain the excess liquid from your meat, then heat the oil in a big pan and fry gently until it cooks, will take about 15 minutes on medium heat.
Serve with hot soft pita or flour tortillas.

TO MAKE THE TACOS ARABES TRADITIONAL SALSA

Ingredients:

5 dried chipotles or 60g – 4 tablespoon chipotle paste
1 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste*
125ml – 4.22 fl oz water
4 tablespoon standard white vinegar •1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Remove the stem from the chilies and discard the seeds. Use all of the water to boil them for five minutes, after that leave them soaking for five more minutes to cool.
In a blender, mix all the ingredients including the water you used to boil the chilies. Blend until it turns into a smooth puree and season with salt to taste.
If you’re using a paste, proceed to put all the ingredients directly in a blender and puree, and season with salt last.

* The traditional recipe that taquerias use does not contain any tomatoes, poblanos really love very spiced and piquant salsas! So I have added the tomato paste to round the flavors and make them less sharp and strong.

If you enjoy listening to Podcasts that enrich your life and leave you with a happy feeling, I highly recommend you to listen to Pass The Chipotle Podcast. Rocio will take you on a wonderful culinary journey full of history and marvelous flavors and aromas. Plus, her magazine also includes Mexican recipes.

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If you like these tacos, you will love the Tacos al Pastor recipe.

Tacos Arabes Recipe

The History behind Tacos Arabes

Tacos Arabes are served with a chipotle sauce

Tacos Arabes Taquero