El Paso Mexican Restaurant

Yesterday I spent the day retrieving a beverage fridge in Springfield, Virginia.
After a few hours of work, I went with my co-worker to get lunch. He was really in the mood for a little Mexican food, which generally makes me nervous. The average person in this area has almost no clue as to what proper Mexican food is all about.

We settled on a pretty generic Tex-Mex restaurant. All the typical warning signs were there. All sorts of goofy shit on the walls. A lack of Mexican customers. A menu plagued with burritos, nachos, enchilada samplers, and of course tacos! I found a section in the menu that was particularly troubling. It was a section for Mexican style tacos, but they were using flour tortillas. I kindly asked my waitress if it were at all possible to get some corn tortillas for my tacos, and not that pinche guero flour bullshit. She was kind of amused, but happy to fulfill my request. The other thing which really scared me was that they offered tacos al pastor, but the menu indicated that it was a mix of carnitas and chorizo. Come on. It’s one thing to serve a garbage imitation of Mexican cuisine, but to flat out change a combination made in heaven is border line sacrilegious. So at this point I had lost all hope, preparing myself for a meal that I wouldn’t enjoy. My buddy had ordered the steako supremo or something stupid like that, and I was beginning to feel like he made the right choice. Now these certainly were not al pastor tacos, but the combination of carnitas, and chorizo was pretty money. The tortillas were nicely heated, and they were served with a decent salsa verde. Not really as hot as I’d like it, but I was thoroughly impressed. Certainly not the best food around, but if you are in the area it is definitely worth checking out, and having a couple tacos.

-Geraldito

Costilla de Res

The biggest issue I have when we make tacos is that I always want to make al pastor. There is something about the combination of the spicy, crispy pieces of slowly cooked pork coupled with the sweet tang of a roasted pineapple that I cannot resist. But it simply wouldn’t be fair for me to only make my favorite taco filling when I am trying to teach people about the intricacies of the world of taquiando. So, for the taco party I decided to make beef tacos. For me the perfect taco filling is not only tender and unctuous, but also delightfully crispy. So the best option to accomplish this combination is to use short ribs.

4 lbs bone in short ribs

2 tomatoes

1 onion

2 jalepenos

2 Negra Modelos

8 cloves garlic

H2O (to cover)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat a large pot or rondeau until smoking. Add olive oil. Season short ribs liberally with salt. Add ribs to pot until thoroughly browned. Do this in smaller batches so he short ribs are not crowded in the pot. Make sure that you watch how hot the pot gets so they do not turn black. Once the ribs are browned add the vegetables and tomatoes into the same pot. Sweat vegetables until translucent. Add both beers. Add the browned short ribs back to the pot, and enough water to cover. Cover pot, and cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the ribs from the braise, and cover with plastic. Let cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Once the ribs have been thoroughly cooled cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Crisp the short ribs in a sheet tray underneath the broiler, around 4-5 minutes. Serve with heated corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro, radishes, and any salsa you’d like.

-Geraldito

Not Fit for Human Consumption

Recently we have come into contact with people who have referred to places such Cactus Cantina and Chipotle as establishments that offer proper Mexican food. I was once as naive as these poor souls until Geraldito introduced me to authentic Latin American cuisine. Instead of writing individual reviews of all of these insalubrious Tex-Mex restaurants and the dog food that they offer I am going to throw them all together because they practically are all the same.

Our shit list includes: Cactus Cantina, Lauriol Plaza, Alero, Guapos, Rio Grande, Taqueria Poblano, and Chipotle of course. On of the first indications that these places are no more than landfills is that you will rarely find a Hispanic person eating in any of them. The quality of the tacos would only be the tip of the iceberg in discussing the “unpalatableness” of their food. Most of the tacos offered are made with cold flour tortillas or hard shell tortillas which is an immediate turn off. They are then usually stuffed with an inordinate amount of lettuce, and other flavorless vegetables topped with sour cream. Finally, the meat is often cold and tough as old boots. To sum it all up, I would put these tacos on the same level as some of the things you might be able to find at your local bait and tackle shop.

Stay away from these places if you are a self respecting human being. Don’t make the mistake of taking a friend or loved one to one of the listed restaurants. I once wined and dined Geraldito at one of these spots and afterward he was so offended he did not put out for a week.
-Taco Pato

Fiesta-quiando Fotos

This is a follow up post about the fiesta last weekend.  The first picture is the entire spread with the pork on the left side of the tray and the beef on the right.  The toppings (in the bowls) are guac sauce, queso fresco, salsa roja, and salsa verde, and a plate of diced onions, radishes, cilantro, and lime slices. 

-Chancho

Tell Us About Your Favorite Taco Joint.

We know that we can not be the only people out there that enjoy taquiando.  Where do you go when you’re craving some proper Mexican cuisine?

Jugo de Pepino

Although we were fighting through a post Taquiando party hangover Taco Pato and I decided that we should hit up a couple local spots. Unfortunately we didn’t eat anything worthy of a post, but we came across something unusual. It was a sweet lime drink flavored with cucumbers. Now I’ve been pretty into this organic cucumber vodka with lime and soda recently so this seemed perfect to me. So instead of just talking about how awesome it was, I decided to make my own version of this beverage.

Basically it’s the same thing I had at the taco stand, but I decided that the addition of a little mint was the perfect accompaniment.

1 cucumber

5 limes (juiced)

1/2 cup white sugar

15 mint leaves

2 cups water

ice

Peel 3/4 of the cucumber. Reserve the last quarter for garnish. Cut cucumber into 3 or 4 smaller pieces, and blend with a little water. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add cucumber juice, lime juice, sugar, mint leaves, and water. Slice remainding cucumber into 1/4 inch slices. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Serve over ice.

This would also be pretty tasty with a little vodka, tequila, or gin…

-Geraldito

1….2….3….Fiesta-quiando

These guys all have one thing in common: They like to get down and party.  In that light, last Saturday, Taquiando sponsored its first ever taco fiesta, and I am happy to report that it was a smashing success.  Geraldito put on a masterful performance in the cocina and, with the help of his dutiful pantry boy Chancho, provided the party with some pretty dank beef and pork tacos.  Taco Pato was pretty much worthless throughout the entire process. We served three different salsas: guac sauce, salsa verde (hot), and salsa roja, all of which were on point and very tasty.  For a true fiesta, simply eating tacos doesn’t cut it.  So we grabbed some Tecate and Dos Equis, threw on some latin jams, and sanctimoniously belittled all tacos of lesser quality…because that’s what taquiando is all about.  One of the most rewarding aspects of the evening its that we had virgin taquiandoers with us, whose previous notion of top-notch Mexican food was Chipotle (Yes, they actually suggested we review Chipotle…as if we would ever stoop that low)  After they sunk their teeth into one of Geraldito’s pork tacos, their appreciation was undeniable.  Be fácil homies, more photos and recipes on their way…

-Chancho

Quemando…

Ah April the twentieth. What a lovely day it is indeed. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I’m actually very content with going to work today. Being as it is the most important day of the year. I felt that it was imperative that I post something today. So I will quote a line from Cypress Hill “Mota rica, chipa chipa, quemando yesca, estoy arriba.” Happy Holidays everybody…

-Geraldito

Salsa Verde

This past weekend we celebrated the arrival of Taquiando with an evening of tacos, cervezas, and absurdity. Later this week we will have a full report on the party with pictures, recipes, and all sorts of other ill shit. But since we’ve been busy with all of the festivities, I felt like I should put a little something up. I made a variation of salsa verde, which I have never made before, and I was pretty happy with it so here you go.

6 jalapenos

1/4 white onion

2 cloves garlic

1 small can tomatillos (1/2 of the liquid removed)

6 sprigs cilantro

3 limes (juiced)

1 teaspoon salt

Over an open burner char jalapenos until the skin is evenly blackened. Leave inside of a tightly sealed paper bag until skin separates from the rest of the pepper. Around five minutes. Scrape charred skin off with a knife, then gently rinse jalapenos under cold water. Add jalapenos, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt all to the blender. Blend until desired consistency. If you would like to keep the sauce really green make sure to serve the salsa verde immediately. 

-Geraldito

Jugo De Mexico

After 21 years of exploring Mexican food, I can say that I have learned a thing or two about the process.  Undoubtedly, being able to recognize an exceptionally prepared taco is the principal aim of the sport, pastime, lifestyle,…or whatever taquiando means to you. One aspect that most people overlook is the selection of an authentic accompanying beverage.  Geraldito will be the first to remind you, as he has shown in his previous blog posts, that having a proper drink with your taco is of paramount importance.  In that light, I am going to introduce you all to something that is at the top of a long list of universally significant Mexican inventions.  Seriously, the Mexicans really outdid themselves with this one…

I give you JUMEX (short for jugo de mexico)… JUMEX is a Mexican juice brand that has begun branching out to areas like sports drinks, kids drinks, and energy drinks.  The main juice flavors are apricot, apple, guava, mango, pear, plum, tamarind, pineapple, strawberry, and many more.  These nectarous juices work perfectly when mixed together or with some alcohol, however, they are delicious by themselves.  This luscious juice can be found in any local Mexican market or restaurant.  So, the next time you’re munching on a spicy taco al pastor looking for a drink to wash it down, take a pass on the soda, water, milk, or even fanta, and pour yourself a nice tall glass of Jumex.  You won’t be sorry you did.

Salud,

Chancho