It's Monday, lunchtime and I'm looking for street tacos. I've spent a fair amount of time around this area at night, and at night there's tacos everywhere. You can almost close your eyes, throw a rock and be reasonably sure it'll hit a taco stand. But during the day, on a Monday? I got no clue.
So I head to the intersection of Florence and 87th St., the location of a stand that's there at night. At least I'll be in the ballpark. I roll up, and lo and behold, a taco stand. One I never knew would be there. I had to give it a try!
They specialize in carnitas, a meat that I've never enjoyed. When I've had it before it's been so fatty that it's gross, trigger's the ick response rather than carnal delight that comes from a good al pastor or a perfect asada. But I talk to the guy for a second and he tells me I have two options. He lifts one lid to show mostly skin and fat. That's option #1. He opens the next lid to show me pork meat, option #2. I immediately go for option #2 and he piles a generous heap of meat on to two tortillas. I load 'em up with salsas from the ice chest nearby and sit down to see what this guy can do.
These are amazing. They're remarkable. They're the best carnitas I've had in years. The salsa adds much of the flavor but the fact that these aren't another pile of fatty, chewy, gross-out carnitas is such a revelation that I'm stunned.
This is how carnitas ought to be served!!!!
I finish up my tacos and am pleasantly stuffed. These things were packed full of meat and at $1.75/per they're priced just about right.
I tell they guy how much I enjoyed my meal and drive off astounded that I've now know where to find a good carnitas taco. read more