Mexican · Norteño · main

Cabrito al Pastor

Cabrito al Pastor reads citrus 5.5, sourness 5.1 and umami 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican · Norteño main, about 4 hr 14 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 5.1 · Umami 4.8 · Allium 4.3 · Richness 3.7 · Heat 3.6 · Salinity 3.6 · Sweetness 2.5 · Earthy 1.9 · Fruity 1.6 · Herbaceous 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Warm Spice 0.9 · Smoke 0.5

What's in it (10)

• goat meat — 3000 g
• salt — 44 g
• water — 1000 g
• mesquite charcoal and hardwood
• roma tomatoes — 500 g
• dried chile piquín — 30 g
• garlic — 12 g
• white onion — 100 g
• flour tortillas — 2400 g
• limes — 130 g

Time & effort: about 4 hr 14 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 149.9 kcal, 11.4 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 17 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Al pastor here has nothing to do with the trompo and the pineapple; in Monterrey it means shepherd style, splayed on an iron spit driven into the ground beside the coals. The whole recipe is a young goat, salt and mesquite, and the discipline is in the fire.
2. Splay the cabrito flat on an iron rod or a sturdy grill basket so it will stand upright.
3. Rub it all over with the coarse salt. That is the entire seasoning; a milk-fed kid has a delicate flavour that a marinade would bury.
4. Light the mesquite and let it burn down 40 minutes until it is covered in grey ash and throwing steady, even heat with no flame.
5. Stand the cabrito beside — not over — the coals, skin side away first, and cook it 2½ to 3 hours, turning every 20 minutes and flicking salted water over it with your hand each time. The skin should end up amber, taut and crackling, and the leg should give when you press it. Rushing it over direct flame burns the skin before the shoulder is anywhere near done.
6. Meanwhile char the tomatoes, piquín, garlic and onion on a comal until blackened, 10 minutes, and crush them into a rough salsa tatemada with salt.
7. Warm the flour tortillas, carve the cabrito into its traditional cuts, and serve with the salsa and lime.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Carne Asada — Mexican
• Masgouf (Split Carp Grilled Upright by an Open Fire) — Iraqi
• Loaded Beef Burrito Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice — Tex-Mex
• Chicken and Rice Enchilada Skillet — Tex-Mex
• Grilled Steak Fajitas — Tex-Mex

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.