Taquerias for gringos

**james** · 12-03-2002

I remember when I first moved to Mexico City I would go to a taqueria nearby and bring a dictionary and order different stuff until I had acquired some favorites and had sampled everything.

Most people don't have that much time while on holiday. I've opened this post to allow others to add some experiences they've had in taquerias. I'll add some observations of my own as the thread moves on.

First off, taqueria comes from the word taco, of course, and the -eria ending means, in this case, a place where tacos are sold or made. You'll find true changarro taquerias in most any town in Mexico. You don't have to go more than a few blocks off Fifth to find some authentic ones here in Playa del Carmen.

dougie46 · 12-04-2002

James,
Thanks for starting this topic. I pretty much have eaten in Mexico as you describe. To have different dishes named and explained, it will certainly make it easier to order..

pun · 12-05-2002

My favorite are tacos al pastor. The meat is thin layers of pork, marinated. The marinade has been illusive to me, but among the ingredients are achiote, chile, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt, and some even say beer or Coca Cola. Oh, and pineapple, always pineapple. The thin layers of marinated meat are sandwiched together on a spit and roasted on a rotisserie. When the meat is cooked, it is sliced right off the rotisserie into a fresh corn tortilla, similar to the way they make gyros here in the US. Since the meat is in thin layers, the carne pastor slices off in little pieces.

Customarily, you would never put lettuce or tomato on tacos al pastor. Finely chopped onion and cilantro, a piece of the roasted pineapple and some good hot sauce finish it off.

If you haven't tried tacos al pastor, you must. They are my favorite and could easily become yours as well. If anyone has a recipe for good tacos al pastor that I could make at home (sans rotisserie), please post it!

Buen Provecho,

Vince

jimbo · 12-05-2002

A quick search/cut/paste yields the following recommendations for tacos al pastor. Any others?

El Pastorcito. 30th Ave near corner of Constituyentes.

Try the big taco places (taquerias) on Juarez, just three blocks or so up Juarez from the square. Taquerias rock, and they are not what you would expect, if you've never really eaten authentic Mexican. Tacos al pastor, cooked vertically like Greek gyros, with a chunk of pineapple and red sauce are addictive like crack.

El- Serape on Juarez for tacos el pastor. This is marinated pork steak which has been stacked on a spit (like Greek gyros) and topped with pineapple. Several places on 30th sell it. This is available only at night as a rule.

Taco Bills. Very local, very cheap...pastor tacos (3) were 9 pesos.

El fogon on 30th ave.

mindz · 12-05-2002

My last time at El Sarape Grill the waiter asked if we wanted cheese on ours. Oh nooo...please don't let tourist's misguided expectations ruin the food!

I once seached the Internet for recipes for tacos al pastor. This is one of those dishes that every restaurant/cook claims to have the best secret recipe for! I tried making itat home, using pork strips, but it just wasn't the same. It's quite a sight to be walking by one of these restaurants in the morning as they're stacking the marinated sliced pork on the spit.

JAH · 12-05-2002

My favorite for tacos al pastor is Tacos Arabe – or it might be called Tacos Israel. Both names are on the building on the corner of Ave 15 and 10th Street. In my opinion, they have the best tacos al pastor I have tasted in Playa, and the big, fat homemade tortillas are to die for.

BarbC · 12-05-2002

Either Tacos Arabe or Tacos Israel seems a most unlikely name for someplace that specializes in pork! :roll:

dougie46 · 12-05-2002

Mindz,
I know the feeling..This is one of a few of the dishes I remember the name of, because it is so good. I have 4-5 recipes for a few dishes, that I collected in Mazatlan and P.V. These came right from the "shops" that made them. No matter how hard I try, and even change things slightly, the taste is nothing like the original...Something is lost making them here, or I wasn't given the "secret" that makes them so very good.
Doug

**james** · 12-09-2002

pun's post made me proud. I cannot add much to that. I would say that typically the correct sauce for a taco al pastor (loosely a shepherd's taco) would be red salsa taquera, which is usually made from dried chiles de arbol.

There's an informative article here about tacos al pastor if you would like to try a recipe at home. Remember to keep them small. In grocery stores here they sell a size of tortilla made for tacos that is really small. It is also common to use two of them, or ask for them 'con doble tortilla.'

On those famous tacos arabes from the taqueria Israel..... Yes, only in Mexico would we be celebrating arab tacos from a place named Israel, but, alas, it's true. The owner of this place ran several of these taquerias in Puebla, a town outside Mexico City famous for the talavera ceramics.

Tacos arabes are made of pork and are served on homemade flour tortillas, which is not common. They are pretty large and very generous on the meat. The secret sauce is perfect, and just might combine to make this the best taco in town. Or are the tacos de camaron capeados better? Or a really crispy al pastor, easy on the cilantro, heavy on the piña and red sauce.....

Another derivative on the al pastor is the gringa. It's basically two flour tortillas (tacos al pastor are traditionally served on corn tortillas) sandwiching al pastor meat with melted cheese. Cut into quarters, add sauce and go! There's another version of the gringa served in town called a sarape, but I don't remember what that is.

**Jesus** · 12-09-2002

Quote:

Originally posted by "mindz"

My last time at El Sarape Grill the waiter asked if we wanted cheese on ours. Oh nooo...please don't let tourist's misguided expectations ruin the food!

Do not be afraid, the cheese they would put on the taco would NEVER be Cheddar, it would be a variety of mexican cheese, to chose between: oaxaca, chihuahua or manchego. This are soft and mild. Next time try them because that do is a mexican way to eat tacos by now.

Buen provecho :lol:

pun · 12-09-2002

Thanks for the kind words, James. My home, Chicago, is rich in Mexican culture. I'm thankful to have a lunch spot right near my work to get excellent tacos al pastor. Tiny little tacos, double torts and good hot sauce to boot. If you ever have to lay over at Midway airport, take a taxi to Los Comales for your al pastor fix.

James, how bout molé in PDC? Can we split this off and talk molé, please?

mindz · 12-10-2002

Wow, James, you answered a question I didn't even ask yet!

I've had tacos from Tacos Arabe in Puebla! I wondered if it was part of the chain.
Just a bit of background: we hosted a high school exchange student from Puebla for a year, and visited her family in Puebla. They were sooo good at making sure we tried all of the best food...including home made bacalao, several kinds of tamales, huitlacoche pizza (!), frijoles charrros, mole Poblano, mixiotes, semitas, and my favorite: chiles en nogada. One day we had carry out from "the best taco place in Puebla- Arabian tacos." Small world.
BTW, Puebla is hardly a town: it is said to be the 4th largest city in Mexico. And besides talavera, it is justly famous for its cuisine.

**james** · 12-10-2002

Jesus brings up a good point with the cheese. It is quite typical to get cheese at a taqueria. Some people order them on tacos al pastor, but normally they come with something called an alambre. Alambre means wire. In this case, the term originates from the skewer used to hold the peppers, onions, bacon, meats and whatever else went into this particular combination. Chopped up with some Oaxacan or manchego cheese on the grill and served very hot, normally with flour tortillas, an alambre is a favorite of mine. I usually add a nice green sauce to mine.

Cheese is also served as queso fundido, which is melted cheese in a little cazuelita (little casserole dish) plain or mixed with mushrooms or chorizo (mmmmm, choriqueso......) and served with flour tortillas.

Similar to the cheese, cream served in Mexico is not the sour cream variety found elsewhere under the guise of Mexican cuisine. Here it is subtler and lighter. Only recently has sour cream been available in the typical grocery store (a Yoplait brand of crema acidificada de vaca).

Becky · 12-10-2002

OK, no fair, you can't talk about my favorite foods when it's still 20 days until I can eat them!

Queso fundido is my all time favorite!!! Especially with chorizo! I think La Parilla has some of the best, but I'm certainly willing to try it anywhere in Playa... ummmm, daily.

OK, and the cream/sour cream served there is fantastic. And yes, it's certainly not sour cream like we are used to in the US. It's yummy and creamy and wonderful.

My favorite comfort meal in Playa is to go to La Parilla, order the queso fundido with chorizo (or plain), and ask for a side of sour cream. A warm tortilla, smeared with the queso and topped with sour cream and a teeny bit of salt.... mmmmmmmm.... drooling like Homer Simpson now... will I make it 20 more days????? :P Oh, and order a side of sour cream with La Parilla's nachos too... fantastic!

Becky

jimbo · 12-10-2002

I'm glad to see that this section of the board is starting to rock 'n roll. Food is a big part of the fun in visiting another country. It's great to learn about the variety of culinary delights one might try. I hope that you'll bring on the desserts at some point. Pastel con tres leches? Where does flan rock? What else to try?

12-03-2002	#1 (permalink)
james beach geek admin Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: 10 year Playa resident lost in Kullavik, Sweden Posts: 9,557	Taquerias for gringos I remember when I first moved to Mexico City I would go to a taqueria nearby and bring a dictionary and order different stuff until I had acquired some favorites and had sampled everything. Most people don't have that much time while on holiday. I've opened this post to allow others to add some experiences they've had in taquerias. I'll add some observations of my own as the thread moves on. First off, taqueria comes from the word taco, of course, and the -eria ending means, in this case, a place where tacos are sold or made. You'll find true changarro taquerias in most any town in Mexico. You don't have to go more than a few blocks off Fifth to find some authentic ones here in Playa del Carmen. __________________ My lovely house is for sale Get your own signature countdown image! Thanks for taking the time to read the announcement!

12-05-2002	#5 (permalink)
mindz way into it Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: wisconsin Posts: 249	Tacos al pastor My last time at El Sarape Grill the waiter asked if we wanted cheese on ours. Oh nooo...please don't let tourist's misguided expectations ruin the food! I once seached the Internet for recipes for tacos al pastor. This is one of those dishes that every restaurant/cook claims to have the best secret recipe for! I tried making itat home, using pork strips, but it just wasn't the same. It's quite a sight to be walking by one of these restaurants in the morning as they're stacking the marinated sliced pork on the spit.

12-05-2002	#7 (permalink)
BarbC life=playa Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 814	tacos Either Tacos Arabe or Tacos Israel seems a most unlikely name for someplace that specializes in pork! :roll:

12-09-2002	#9 (permalink)
james beach geek admin Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: 10 year Playa resident lost in Kullavik, Sweden Posts: 9,557	pun's post made me proud. I cannot add much to that. I would say that typically the correct sauce for a taco al pastor (loosely a shepherd's taco) would be red salsa taquera, which is usually made from dried chiles de arbol. There's an informative article here about tacos al pastor if you would like to try a recipe at home. Remember to keep them small. In grocery stores here they sell a size of tortilla made for tacos that is really small. It is also common to use two of them, or ask for them 'con doble tortilla.' On those famous tacos arabes from the taqueria Israel..... Yes, only in Mexico would we be celebrating arab tacos from a place named Israel, but, alas, it's true. The owner of this place ran several of these taquerias in Puebla, a town outside Mexico City famous for the talavera ceramics. Tacos arabes are made of pork and are served on homemade flour tortillas, which is not common. They are pretty large and very generous on the meat. The secret sauce is perfect, and just might combine to make this the best taco in town. Or are the tacos de camaron capeados better? Or a really crispy al pastor, easy on the cilantro, heavy on the piña and red sauce..... Another derivative on the al pastor is the gringa. It's basically two flour tortillas (tacos al pastor are traditionally served on corn tortillas) sandwiching al pastor meat with melted cheese. Cut into quarters, add sauce and go! There's another version of the gringa served in town called a sarape, but I don't remember what that is. __________________ My lovely house is for sale Get your own signature countdown image! Thanks for taking the time to read the announcement!

12-10-2002	#12 (permalink)
mindz way into it Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: wisconsin Posts: 249	tacos arabe et cetera Wow, James, you answered a question I didn't even ask yet! I've had tacos from Tacos Arabe in Puebla! I wondered if it was part of the chain. Just a bit of background: we hosted a high school exchange student from Puebla for a year, and visited her family in Puebla. They were sooo good at making sure we tried all of the best food...including home made bacalao, several kinds of tamales, huitlacoche pizza (!), frijoles charrros, mole Poblano, mixiotes, semitas, and my favorite: chiles en nogada. One day we had carry out from "the best taco place in Puebla- Arabian tacos." Small world. BTW, Puebla is hardly a town: it is said to be the 4th largest city in Mexico. And besides talavera, it is justly famous for its cuisine.

12-04-2002	#2 (permalink)
dougie46 life=playa Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 679	James, Thanks for starting this topic. I pretty much have eaten in Mexico as you describe. To have different dishes named and explained, it will certainly make it easier to order..

12-05-2002	#3 (permalink)
pun way into it Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 176	My favorite are tacos al pastor. The meat is thin layers of pork, marinated. The marinade has been illusive to me, but among the ingredients are achiote, chile, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt, and some even say beer or Coca Cola. Oh, and pineapple, always pineapple. The thin layers of marinated meat are sandwiched together on a spit and roasted on a rotisserie. When the meat is cooked, it is sliced right off the rotisserie into a fresh corn tortilla, similar to the way they make gyros here in the US. Since the meat is in thin layers, the carne pastor slices off in little pieces. Customarily, you would never put lettuce or tomato on tacos al pastor. Finely chopped onion and cilantro, a piece of the roasted pineapple and some good hot sauce finish it off. If you haven't tried tacos al pastor, you must. They are my favorite and could easily become yours as well. If anyone has a recipe for good tacos al pastor that I could make at home (sans rotisserie), please post it! Buen Provecho, Vince

12-05-2002	#4 (permalink)
jimbo toe in water Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Jefferson, WI USA Posts: 54	A quick search/cut/paste yields the following recommendations for tacos al pastor. Any others? El Pastorcito. 30th Ave near corner of Constituyentes. Try the big taco places (taquerias) on Juarez, just three blocks or so up Juarez from the square. Taquerias rock, and they are not what you would expect, if you've never really eaten authentic Mexican. Tacos al pastor, cooked vertically like Greek gyros, with a chunk of pineapple and red sauce are addictive like crack. El- Serape on Juarez for tacos el pastor. This is marinated pork steak which has been stacked on a spit (like Greek gyros) and topped with pineapple. Several places on 30th sell it. This is available only at night as a rule. Taco Bills. Very local, very cheap...pastor tacos (3) were 9 pesos. El fogon on 30th ave.

12-05-2002	#6 (permalink)
JAH reposado Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,309	My favorite for tacos al pastor is Tacos Arabe – or it might be called Tacos Israel. Both names are on the building on the corner of Ave 15 and 10th Street. In my opinion, they have the best tacos al pastor I have tasted in Playa, and the big, fat homemade tortillas are to die for.

12-05-2002	#8 (permalink)
dougie46 life=playa Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 679	Mindz, I know the feeling..This is one of a few of the dishes I remember the name of, because it is so good. I have 4-5 recipes for a few dishes, that I collected in Mazatlan and P.V. These came right from the "shops" that made them. No matter how hard I try, and even change things slightly, the taste is nothing like the original...Something is lost making them here, or I wasn't given the "secret" that makes them so very good. Doug

12-09-2002	#11 (permalink)
pun way into it Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 176	Thanks for the kind words, James. My home, Chicago, is rich in Mexican culture. I'm thankful to have a lunch spot right near my work to get excellent tacos al pastor. Tiny little tacos, double torts and good hot sauce to boot. If you ever have to lay over at Midway airport, take a taxi to Los Comales for your al pastor fix. James, how bout molé in PDC? Can we split this off and talk molé, please?

12-10-2002	#13 (permalink)
james beach geek admin Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: 10 year Playa resident lost in Kullavik, Sweden Posts: 9,557	Jesus brings up a good point with the cheese. It is quite typical to get cheese at a taqueria. Some people order them on tacos al pastor, but normally they come with something called an alambre. Alambre means wire. In this case, the term originates from the skewer used to hold the peppers, onions, bacon, meats and whatever else went into this particular combination. Chopped up with some Oaxacan or manchego cheese on the grill and served very hot, normally with flour tortillas, an alambre is a favorite of mine. I usually add a nice green sauce to mine. Cheese is also served as queso fundido, which is melted cheese in a little cazuelita (little casserole dish) plain or mixed with mushrooms or chorizo (mmmmm, choriqueso......) and served with flour tortillas. Similar to the cheese, cream served in Mexico is not the sour cream variety found elsewhere under the guise of Mexican cuisine. Here it is subtler and lighter. Only recently has sour cream been available in the typical grocery store (a Yoplait brand of crema acidificada de vaca). __________________ My lovely house is for sale Get your own signature countdown image! Thanks for taking the time to read the announcement!

12-10-2002	#14 (permalink)
Becky reposado Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,085	OK, no fair, you can't talk about my favorite foods when it's still 20 days until I can eat them! Queso fundido is my all time favorite!!! Especially with chorizo! I think La Parilla has some of the best, but I'm certainly willing to try it anywhere in Playa... ummmm, daily. OK, and the cream/sour cream served there is fantastic. And yes, it's certainly not sour cream like we are used to in the US. It's yummy and creamy and wonderful. My favorite comfort meal in Playa is to go to La Parilla, order the queso fundido with chorizo (or plain), and ask for a side of sour cream. A warm tortilla, smeared with the queso and topped with sour cream and a teeny bit of salt.... mmmmmmmm.... drooling like Homer Simpson now... will I make it 20 more days????? :P Oh, and order a side of sour cream with La Parilla's nachos too... fantastic! Becky

12-10-2002	#15 (permalink)
jimbo toe in water Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Jefferson, WI USA Posts: 54	I'm glad to see that this section of the board is starting to rock 'n roll. Food is a big part of the fun in visiting another country. It's great to learn about the variety of culinary delights one might try. I hope that you'll bring on the desserts at some point. Pastel con tres leches? Where does flan rock? What else to try?

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