Throngs of people crowd the street well into the 4 a.m. “At night, the garage doors open and there are four taqueros, each carving his own massive trompo, right on the sidewalk. “The move at El Vilsito is al pastor for sure,” says Stupak. Chef Alex Stupak, who went to Mexico City on a quest for the best al pastor tacos, is a fan of the achiote-marinated meat that’s formed into a trompo (literally “top,” referring to its shape) and cooked slowly on a vertical spit, sliced and served with a chunk of roasted pineapple on corn tortillas. Recommended by chef Alon Shaya of Shaya in New Orleansĭuring the day, El Vilsito is an auto repair shop in Colonia Narvarte, a skip southeast of hip hoods Condesa and Roma, but come night, the place is transformed into a taquería with a scene that goes late. Meche and Rafael serve their carnitas only on Saturdays or holidays the other meats are offered all the time. Tortillas were freshly pressed, and the meats were fresh.”īesides the carnitas made from maciza, or the lean loin, Shaya loved Meche y Rafael’s especially porky chicharrón tacos. “After we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, she looked us in the eyes and said, ‘Now are you ready for the best carnitas of your lives?’ Every bite was crazy good, and there was an all-you-can-eat guacamole and salsa bar next to the stall. “Andrew Zimmern set us up with an amazing food tour guide, Ruth Alegria, who took us through several markets and showed us the best bites in each place,” recounts Shaya. One of the Mexico’s best neighborhood markets is the busy Mercado de Medellín in Roma Sur, and it’s there you’ll want to seek out Meche y Rafael, a butcher stand that offers meat tacos that blew chef Alon Shaya away. Luckily we have some of the world’s greatest chefs on our side in deciding where to go. On the flip side, there’s a taco omakase (chef’s choice tasting menu) at one of the world’s top restaurants, where Wagyu stakes a claim on territory usually reserved for every conceivable part of the pig. The streets are lined with counters where men and women clad in aprons briskly chop meat and spoon it onto freshly pressed tortillas in a matter of seconds, serving up addictive flavor bombs for less than a dollar. 19 earthquake, tacos are a food to feed the soul. And as the city recovers from its devastating Sept. Mexico City might not be the dish’s original home-tacos are believed to have gotten their start in the country’s silver mines in the 1700s-but it’s the best place to see the vast spectrum of delicious possibilities. Look at them now: More and more, you’ll find supple, fragrant tortillas, often made from freshly ground corn and bursting with flavor-packed fillings, rich with chilis, stewed meats, and crispy fried fish. All across America and as far away as Singapore, chefs are changing people’s minds about a dish that has long been thought of as simplistic and cheap. The world is experiencing a Mexican food revolution-specifically, a taco revolution. Pictured: Carnitas and Chicharrón tacos at Meche y Rafael.
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