Mexican Food

[yodedude2]

Heh, I had to look up cabrito Maybe the population in my neighborhood is from a "birria" part of the country, while the population in your neighborhood is from a "Cabrito" part of country

yes, i believe mexican food is very regionalized in mexico. we are definitely in the norteno/tejano barbacoa region.

 

[Easy8]

The morning drive time radio show had a guy promoting a book on tacos yesterday morning. He claimed there were over 400 places in my hometown serving tacos, but would say he he underestimated by at least 100.

Someone cited Cisco's for migas. Great breakfast and the best huevos rancheros I've ever had.

Migas are a traditional Tex-Mex Christmas breakfast dish and should have fresh tomato and jalapenos or serranos (for the green and red Christmas colors).

Here's my easy cheesy migas:

Adjust quantities as needed.

Heat oil in a skillet.
Fry chopped onion until transparent.
Add torn stale corn tortillas and fry until soft (you don't want them crispy).
Add a chopped tomato and fresh sliced jalapeno or serrano peppers (not pickled).
Stir in in beaten eggs and scramble.
Season with salt and pepper.
Throw on grated cheddar and/or jack cheese and melt.

Serve with salsa, tortillas, papas y frijoles (home fried potatos and refried beans).

 

[bassinplace]

It's like a regular teriyaki place except the cashier isn't Asian!

That's not Mexican food.

 

[Vince Klortho]

had to look up birria! cabrito is roasted. we used to get cabrito tacos from the walk up taco stands in reynosa. but no one goes there anymore. ...

Around here, the difference is cabrito is roasted, as you wrote, and birria is stewed and often just like shredded beef. Unfortunately, cabrito is rare but is almost always very good. Birria is much more common.

The key to good cabrito, much like lamb, is to get very young goats - before they have started to eat grass. Once they start eating grass the flavor changes a lot and not for the better. They are best as birria then.

 

[Vince Klortho]

I live near Fresno and there are hundreds of Mexican places around here and they cover the entire spectrum of quality. Many, if not most, are Americanized and I call that "nuclear mexican" food because they usually use a microwave oven. You rarely see Mexican people in those places. Then there are the more authentic places and, thankfully, there are a good number of those. Just like anything else, there are good ones and bad ones. One of my favorites is a place in Fresno called "El Pescador" and they serve mostly seafood. Imagine that. They have both grilled and fried fish tacos that are great and they also have scallop and octopus tacos and those are really good too. I won't claim that is an authentic place but I sure like it.

 

[elgecko]

It's no coincidence that I instantly thought of Mos 2 as soon as I heard "Mexican teriyaki". I was trying to remember why I make that association when this write up reminded me: Tapatio and horchata.

Link Removed

 

[pedroims]

yes, i believe mexican food is very regionalized in mexico. we are definitely in the norteno/tejano barbacoa region.

You are right.

North east is cabrito: Monterrey, Reynosa
North west is birria: Tijuana, Sinaloa

Food from south of Mexico is complete different beast.

cabrito

Birria

 

[MJ5150]

Here's my easy cheesy migas:

Adjust quantities as needed.

Heat oil in a skillet.
Fry chopped onion until transparent.
Add torn stale corn tortillas and fry until soft (you don't want them crispy).
Add a chopped tomato and fresh sliced jalapeno or serrano peppers (not pickled).
Stir in in beaten eggs and scramble.
Season with salt and pepper.
Throw on grated cheddar and/or jack cheese and melt.

Serve with salsa, tortillas, papas y frijoles (home fried potatos and refried beans).

Wahoo, thanks for the recipe. That's about exactly how I make mine, minus the refried beans. I need to learn how to make those. At least I'm happy to know I make them somewhat right. Come to think of it, I will make some this morning.

I have tried my migas with crispy tortilla chips, it's actually not bad.

-Mike

 

[macaroni tony]

I should add: Chronic Tacos has been mentioned here. Chronic Tacos is pretty good, but not authentic

 

[tastybasslines]

I should add: Chronic Tacos has been mentioned here. Chronic Tacos is pretty good, but not authentic

Wee Man from Jackass fame is the owner of these.

 

[macaroni tony]

Haha! I didn't know that, but it makes so much sense.

 

[Biggbass]

I've found that every time I've tried Mexican food outside of Texas it turned out to be disappointing. But most people probably share that experience trying something other than what they're used to having in their own area. My culinary senses are jaded though, because my wife is Mexican-American and she learned the classic family dishesfrom her mother and grandmother.

 

[macaroni tony]

Where else have you had Mexican food Bigg?

 

[LagBox]

I've found that every time I've tried Mexican food outside of Texas it turned out to be disappointing.

Is that because you always fly over New Mexico?

 

[Biggbass]

Where else have you had Mexican food Bigg?

I've had it in LA, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Baton Rouge, Oklahoma City, Flagstaff, Austin, and Manhattan. Even Austin has their own twist on it. But Austin has become such a foo foo town full of non Texans it's a wonder there's any actual Austin left in Austin.
In Santa Fe I was served enchiladas stacked like pancakes with shredded chicken in between the layers and a slimy green sauce that I think may have been an attempt at a tomatillo sauce... WTH was that?
With Mexican food the sauce can make or break a recipe. Watery sauce just doesn't cut it, red or green. And canned chili definitely doesn't qualify for an enchilada or tamale sauce.
Personally my favorite way to have tamales is with eggs over medium. Try it, you may never have them differently again.

 

[macaroni tony]

Were I a betting man I'd say you just didn't go to the right place in LA.

Someone gave my wife a bunch of books a while back, and one of them was Tex-Mex cooking. I flipped through it and so much of it was foreign to me...must be the Northwest/Northeast Mexico thing.

 

[bkbirge]

Mmmm... Mexican breakfast.

Huevos Motulenos, Huevos Albanil, Huevos Rancheros, Chorizo con Papas tacos...

Around these parts you can find all that easily. Heck, even the donut shops serve breakfast tacos.

For my money the best Tex-Mex breakfast is Barbacoa, ... mmm

 

[bassinplace]

This thread inspired me to have dinner at Taqueria De Anda last night. Had the Carnitas, Al Pastor and Pollo Tacos. Excellent! Macaroni Tony, I just happened to be driving by that little place I was thinking of by the DMV yesterday. It has been converted for about the fourth time in recent memory. It's now one of those "fake Alberto's" place also. "Alvaro's" or something like that with the imitation logo.

 

[elgecko]

Al Pastor RULES!

 

[Passinwind]

I've found that every time I've tried Mexican food outside of Texas it turned out to be disappointing. But most people probably share that experience trying something other than what they're used to having in their own area. My culinary senses are jaded though, because my wife is Mexican-American and she learned the classic family dishes from her mother and grandmother.

My wife's Texan sister in-law nearly got us thrown out of a Mexican joint here by insisting on special ordering something definitively Tex-Mex at a completely family run "actual Mexican" place. And of course not all "actual" Mex food is the same by any means. Yucatan style is my personal favorite, but that's probably just my personal perception rather than an authentic distinction.