Mexican food

[gzt]

I live in a very diverse neighborhood. I've figured out how to eat the Lebanese, Persian, Indian, Pakistani, Korean, etc crap, but I haven't figured out how to go into these Mexican places without this happening: http://5secondfilms.com/watch/panic_order Might be more diverse than just Mexican stuff, but I don't know how to read the signs. Since I figure the people here have the same ideas about eating that I do, give me the true eating knowledges.

[cervicornis]

This really depends on where you live. Here in San Diego you can't go wrong with the standard carne asada burrito. That's a pound of marinated, grilled meat with guacamole and salsa. Or the California burrito, if you're carb-friendly. That's carne asada, guacamole, french fries, and salsa.

In general, a good rule of thumb is that cheap Mexican food is tasty Mexican food. Taco shops are the best.

The only Mexican chain that I'll eat is Chipotle, which is delicious. You can ask for double meat for an extra $2.00, which is worth it. They use non-CAFO chicken and pork and grass-fed beef at many of their locations (but not all, check this).

Following a hard workout, there's nothing better than a huge plate of carne asada fries and chocolate milk.

[gzt]

The places I'm talking about are the run down cheap taco places where nothing is in English because nothing in the neighborhood is in English. I can figure out Chipotle, I eat there all the time. That's as American as apple pie.

[gzt]

See, the thing is, whenever I've gone to one, I always end up with a plate of rice, a scoop of bean goo, and a couple little edible thingies, or something like that. I want to know the secret cheat code that gets me a plate full of awesome.

[cervicornis]

cheat code numero uno: carne asada burrito
cheat code numero dos: carnitas burrito
cheat code numero tres: pollo asado burrito

That's beef, pork, chicken with guacamole & salsa wrapped in a giant tortilla. No need for a plate, unless you want a bunch of rice and "bean goo".


The places I'm talking about are the run down cheap taco places where nothing is in English because nothing in the neighborhood is in English.

Don't mistake cheap and hole-in-the-wall for run down. In my experience some of the best food can be found in neighborhoods where nothing is in English.

[cervicornis]

Carne asada fries - the only thing you should order that is served on a plate.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7941/32694863022afb79d7f.jpg

[Squatson]

Just go up to the counter and say

"Cual plato me hara mas fuerte?"

Which plate will make me strongest?

or "Yo quiero ser duro, que debe comer?"

I want to get hard, what should I eat?

[cervicornis]

I want to get hard, what should I eat?

With regards to this question, my preferred food is pussy.

[gzt]

You are what you eat.

I like run down. Anyway, thanks for the advices. I will see if they work in terms of getting me plates of awesome rather than crap.

[bugbomb]

If you walk into a Mexican food place and they have fries on the menu, just walk out.

Carne asada, chorizo, cabrito, carnitas - any meat starting with "c".

[Squatson]

I always get the chori-pollo dish at my Mexican place. It is pretty much a giant plate covered with chicken and chorizo, and another giant plate covered with tortillas and anything you could imagine combining with chorizo and chicken.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Tacos de asada.

Asada being chunks of marinated steak. Sometimes this can be a drag if the place doesn't have good steak, which is mainly a problem if you hate gristly bits in your delicious food. If I get hosed with shite meat the first time, I will get chicken (pollo, which is pronounced POY-o) tacos the next time, which is usually more edible. If the place looks borderline, I will usually get an asada taco and some chicken ones in case the steak sucks, and proceed from there.

Most authentic Mexi joints do tacos very simply: two soft corn tortillas (major fucking bonus if you can find a place with fresh, house made tortillas) with a pile of meat, topped off with chopped onions and cilantro, and maybe a wedge of lime on the side. I find tres of these little amigos to get the job done, but any number of tacos that makes you happy is fine.

[Scrofula]

I usually go with carnitas (pulled pork), unless it's a place that I know has good carne asada or al pastor. Carnitas is hard to screw up, even if you use cheap meat. Several places in the area also do decent fish tacos. Oh, and I had goat tacos once; great stuff, if you don't mind a bit of chewing.

I'm mostly a burrito guy, though. I find tacos pretty insubstantial, and I have a small appetite. I don't know how many I'd need to fill up. It's like sushi -- I can't imagine how anybody could afford to get full off sushi.

I'm always tempted to try the more obscure options -- machaca, lengua, whatnot. But when I actually get to the tacqueria, I find myself in the mood for one of the tried-and-true staples.

[jjohal]

I remember when I was still in the states, I'd be able to get full from a taco truck for around $5. Try tortas and cemitas, they're basically Mexican sandwiches stuffed with meat. Lengua is a great filling, it's very tender.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

"Lengua" is tongue, by the way, for gzt's informatation. And isn't "machaca" brains? Seems like a great way to get BSE to me.

[Scrofula]

I thought machaca was some sort of rehydrated, pounded meat thing, but Wikipedia tells me that nowadays it's just shredded beef, probably like Chipotle's barbacoa. Brain is sesos, and no, I wouldn't try that.

[cervicornis]

If you walk into a Mexican food place and they have fries on the menu, just walk out.

This might be the case in other parts of the country, but not in San Diego. Here, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Mexican place that doesn't offer french fries. Carne asada fries is a staple.

Machaca is beef, usually mixed with some eggs. Can't go wrong there.

[slughammer]

Machaca burrito. Shreaded beef with green chilies and scrambled egg.