VS
Few things in my travels have delighted me as much as an authentic Mexican style Taco. I submit that there is no reason to continue eating the taco americano as it were, when the ingredients to create a much better taco experience, are at our disposal. Let me explain...
I grew up on the 79 cent tacos from Taco Bell, and as a little kid, there was nothing greater. There ground beef was seasoned to perfection--though as a picky kid I often passed on the lettuce and cheese portion. As a teenager, Taco Bell introduced the Grilled Steak Tacos and my world changed a little. Again, I was not a huge fan of the random sauces and things that went into these, so I simply began ordering "tortilla add steak." I felt like I was onto something. I did not know then how that simple difference between ground beef and seasoned steak would open my eyes to a world of much tastier and authentic tacos.
When Juliet and I used to speak on the phone, she was always mentioning how they were going to get tacos. I had always assumed that being in Mexico, she was likely getting something more authentic than my Taco Bell substitute here, but I did not realize how much more delicious the possibility could be.
The first time I was taken to a taco vendor in Rio Bravo, Mexico, I was not sure what to expect. The wood block hollowed out where the meat was cut and cooked was something unfamiliar to me. I also noticed a vegetable that I had ignored many times in my life up to that point-the onion. In addition, a little green leafy vegetable was seated nearby, and I am told its name is Cilantro.
"What kind of taco is this?" I remember thinking. "where's the ground beef?"
The first bite was exquisite--and each bite thereafter. The tortillas were corn, not flour, and this was also new to me. The size of tortilla was much different as well, being much smaller than even the corn tortillas I had briefly looked over at the grocery stores in the states. Something about the smaller size, made it seem that much more enticing. Here is a taco of which I can eat multiple servings without getting stuffed.
Juliet pointed out that a real Mexican style taco is made with these smaller corn tortillas, steak (seasoned and cooked with some sort of magic process--perhaps the wood it's cut on...) cebolla (onion) and cilantro. After the first bite, I forgot what lettuce and tomato and shredded cheddar were, and immersed myself in this new delight.
A choice of red or green salsa followed--with fresh pico de gallo being another option. Salt for flavor finished the treat.
I'm not sure how many I ate that first sitting, but it was likely more than I would have guessed I'd be eating. There was just something much more satisfying about the ingredients when compared to our bland iceberg lettuce, barely cheese cheese and little tomato chunks (which are likely the freshest ingredient in our tacos here).
I could never go back---and yet I had to return to the states. When Juliet came to the United States in June 2007, I was eager to have her try all of my various favorite restaurants and foods. I've listed them before, but here they are again for reference:
Hamburger- Goldies
Hot Dog- Chet's (in Muskogee)
Steak- Outback Steakhouse or Texas Roadhouse---and later Cheddar's for a bargain but delicious steak
Being a meat eater, these were my primary focus. I was disappointed being here without the tacos I had enjoyed so much in my travels to Mexico. Juliet was also missing the unique flavor-so we sought out a more "authentic" taco experience. It was not a Taco Bell, but rather a tiny mexican market in a shopping center that made similar (but not the same) tacos. This was the best we could do in Oklahoma.
Upon moving to Austin, there was a larger Hispanic community and we quickly found better (though still not the same) options for our authentic style tacos. Juliet one day purchased all of the ingredients needed to re-create our taco experience, and made some very delicious versions of what we had in Mexico. They were as close as we had gotten to the real thing, but we both knew it could never be the same. We kept our stomachs tied over until each subsequent visit to her family in which we might have that small joy of eating a real taco.
If I had never tried to eat a real taco, I might have gone my whole life thinking that Taco Bell and other similar establishments had the recipe for the best tacos.
I grew up on ground beef, lettuce, and cheese. I will grow old on Bistek or Fajita, cebolla and cilantro--a hint of red salsa, pico and a very satisfied countenance.
P.S. My record of most Mexican tacos eaten in a visit was broken on this past visit. I have eaten 40 tacos in 62 hours at present moment. Perhaps stuffing myself with them was not the best idea, but it's hard to resist a real delightful food like my Authentically Mexican style Tacos--
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