7/31/2019 Taco Bracket

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20 TmOuThO.Om Jul 26Aug 1, 2012

To achieve a perfect al pastor taco

takes effort and skill. Pork, once

marinated in chilies and achiote

powder, must be sliced, stacked onto a

vertical spit and flame-grilled until the

exterior is caramelized. (Too many

places griddle marinated pork to

order.) A smart restaurant will perch a

pineapple atop the spit so that a fruity

glaze drips down to lacquer the meat

Sliced off in strips and nestled in a

corn tortilla, this pork is the crowning

achievement of the taco arts

A pork fiend pits his favoriteal pastortacos against each other in a 16-tortilla

face-off. By Nick Kindelsperger

Photograph byNicole Radja

Prize pig

3916 W 26th St (773-762-3380,taqueriasatotonilco.com)

1708 W Lawrence Ave (773-275-0703)

132 S Ashland Ave (312-733-7772,lalagartijataqueria.com)

Maxwell Street Market

3949 W 71st St (773-582-9701,zacatacos.net)

814 W Randolph St (312-455-8114,decero.hellotacos.com)

1206 W Lawrence Ave (773-275-5321)

4418 W 63rd St (773-284-1003)

2859 W Chicago Ave (773-235-2859)

1531 N Damen Ave (773-235-4039,bigstarchicago.com)

4429 W Diversey Ave (773-292-0400)

Maxwell Street Market

Taqueria la Flor de MeXico

upTown Taqueria

la lagarTija

Taquerias aToTonilco

Taquerias

aToTonilco

Taquerias

aToTonilco

ZacaTacos

de cero

carMelas Taqueria

rubis

Taqueria el pasTor

Taqueria ricardo

big sTar

Taco el jalisciense

2001 N Western Ave (773-772-4944,arturos-tacos.com)

Maxwell Street Market

arTuros

Manolos

4019 W North Ave (773-276-0768)

birria HuenTiTan

Tierra calienTe

1402 N Ashland Ave (773-772-9804)

rubis

rubis

rubis

Taqueria

el pasTor

big sTar

big sTar

ZacaTacos

Tierra

calienTe

Manolos

Manolos

Manolos

Manoloswinner!

Al pastor loves a crowd. The morecustomers there are, the less opportunity

the meat has to sit around and dry out.This helps to explain why the best alpastor tacos come from the packedMaxwell Street Market, held on Sundaysin the South Loop (Desplaines Street fromRoosevelt Street to Harrison Street; seeour Maxwell taco crawl on page 22). Rubisand Manolos both spin towering hunksof red-hued pork, crowned with pineappleand cooked by the glow of charcoal. Onmy last visit, Manolos pastor was a littlejuicier, and the charcoal aroma a littlestronger. But the real answer is to try both.

la lagarTija