55 years of being Mexican and Pastor as one of my favs… never seen it like that. Would love to get one for the house and one for the office. (Too big for the car)
@Veloslave as a casual observation, it seems to be a fading art form to see it done like this. Only a fraction of places have these anymore in my neck of southern California.
@connorbush Oh yes! Glad to see proper tacos represented in the comments. Pastor with pineapple (also pictured) is so damn good!
Although to be honest, trying to choose “the best” taco protein is an exercise in futility. There are too many good ones! Pastor, barbacoa, chorizo, picadillo, fish, shrimp, hell even regular ol’ tacos al carbon with fajita steak or chicken. They’re all amazing! And that’s not even getting into the crazy fusion stuff that places like Torchy’s serve up (I call them “white people tacos” and they’re delicious).
@connorbush Yes! I stop by my favorite taco truck spot in Los Angeles for al pastor tacos at least once a week. It’s glorious watching them slide the meat from the cone.
All I’ll say, is that the fast food places I go to don’t serve tacos. (And keep in mind that I don’t eat out often, especially considering the prices. After all, like I once told you, a decent burger costs roughly $10 for me.)
@connorbush Cabeza? But…ew, other than the cheeks, there’s not much protein on/in a head except for BRAINS!
Nope. Not gonna try brains, nor eyeballs, or any other squicky parts. Truth be told, if I had to kill my own food, I’d learn to eat eggs and become some egg-eating, dairy-consuming vegetarian.
@LaVikinga Don’t eat brains. Back in the '80s we lived in Europe, when mad cow disease was loose, and Red Cross STILL won’t let me donate blood, because I might have it floating around my system.
@katbyter I’ve made a BLT taco (very good) as well as a taco shell made out of woven strips of bacon and then stuffed with beef taco meat, guac, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. It was incredible.
@narfcake Seriously, I can’t believe ground beef is winning! I sincerely hope these philistines are referring to picadillo tacos, which do use ground beef (and onion and chiles) but are straight legit.
But I’m afraid most of the people who voted beef are voting for those hard-shell, Taco Bell crunchy taco abominations.
Please, ground beef voters, restore my faith in humanity and tell me you’re referring to picadillo!
@rdean150 Taco Bell has its place in the world of finger food. It’s best eaten at 2 in the morning after drinking adult beverages all night with friends.
Of course, after a night of booming I’d rather stand half dressed in front of my open fridge eating leftover carnitas and guacamole with my fingers because it’s a shorter distance to my bed.
@Mehrocco_Mole The blend and balance of spices is what tacos are about!
Fresh ground cumin is a must! Blended with ground chilies, garlic, browned onions, fresh cilantro…
Crap. Now I’m hungry…
@Mehrocco_Mole Won’t judge you since I know what it’s like to hear the gasps of surprise when I tell people I really don’t like eggs. Or fish (I despise salmon, or any freshwater fish, but I’ll eat milder salt water fish like mullet or shark if it’s deep fried). Or licorice. That crap gives me a wicked headache.
Lot’s of people hate on cumin and cilantro. Leave it out and make your tacos will other meats & seasonings that you do like. Embrace the deliciousness of your own creation.
@Yoda_Daenerys I grind the whole cumin seeds for the best flavor. In my enchilada sauce, I use an Ancho and a New Mexico type dried chile. They are rinsed & mostly seeded then boiled in water. I save the water also, sticking them in a blender after they are cooked. Of course there’s other stuff, garlic, onion, beer, etc…
For heat, I add some of my roasted Jalapenos diced-up and Cayenne to taste.
I really don’t make my enchilada sauce very hot, as I like using sauces to do that at the table.
Oops… I guess we were talking tacos up there…
Taco meat just needs a bit of fresh cumin & cilantro added to the meat (after it’s mostly browned). That’s also when you add the onion, garlic, & if in a hurry, just dump a small can of Herdez Salsa Casera in with the meat. Add hot sauce at the table. Yum…
I love tacos. Extra hot sauce.
I voted ground beef, as that’s what I buy most often. I coarse-grind the beef myself when making them at home and brown the beef properly!
Fish tacos are really good also, but I’m picky about them being made correctly.
Shredded beef is pretty good in a taco, but is better in an enchilada.
Chorizo is better with eggs for breakfast!
Tacos pastor is so good, but not available around here.
My homemade stack enchiladas, using my Sonoran enchilada sauce is the best Mexican food there is.
(My skirt steak is pretty good too, cook on BBQ for 7 minutes).
Damn near everything offered in an authentic taqueria is delicious. Cabeza, lengua, al pastor, barbacoa, salchichas, desebrada, chicharrones (I think I spelled those correctly). I did once have goat barbacoa and it was a little gamey but I blame that preparation. Chorizo alone is usually too greasy for my tastes although it tastes great.
In a tex-mex place, steak is the way to go. Maybe shrimp, too.
And it’s great to branch out. Guaraches and sopes are also delicious. Sopes are my new favorite thing to experiment with at the new taqueria near my house.
Always used to laugh at Fish tacos…then i tried one. Ever since it’s been my favorite. Beef tacos are just too greasy and fattening and taste good initially but feel horrible in your stomach after the fact. Fish doesn’t really have this after effect and depending on how it’s cooked can be far healthier than it’s beef sibling.
lengua and cesina are the winners for me, although I love a good fish taco. also if it’s not in two tortillas and it doesn’t have radishes then it’s not real.
Back in the early seventies, one of my co-worker’s family members owned a little taco shop (I’m in San Diego, lots of taco shops, more taco shops than Starbucks).
And they made this thing called a “guac tac”. It was a partially rolled taco, shredded beef in the rolled part, the other part was flat. And they loaded it with lettuce and tomato and cheese and guacamole…it was heaven in my hands.
Now my favorite from a real taco place is a beef taco with guacamole. From a wannabe taco place is a soft chicken taco from Del Taco.
And rolled tacos with guacamole. And cheese and lettuce…ah, it’s only a little after seven and my mouth is watering…
/image AL PASTOR
@connorbush
55 years of being Mexican and Pastor as one of my favs… never seen it like that. Would love to get one for the house and one for the office. (Too big for the car)
@Veloslave as a casual observation, it seems to be a fading art form to see it done like this. Only a fraction of places have these anymore in my neck of southern California.
@connorbush Oh yes! Glad to see proper tacos represented in the comments. Pastor with pineapple (also pictured) is so damn good!
Although to be honest, trying to choose “the best” taco protein is an exercise in futility. There are too many good ones! Pastor, barbacoa, chorizo, picadillo, fish, shrimp, hell even regular ol’ tacos al carbon with fajita steak or chicken. They’re all amazing! And that’s not even getting into the crazy fusion stuff that places like Torchy’s serve up (I call them “white people tacos” and they’re delicious).
@connorbush Is that a mexican Doner kebab?
@connorbush Yes! I stop by my favorite taco truck spot in Los Angeles for al pastor tacos at least once a week. It’s glorious watching them slide the meat from the cone.
@derfs soooo Mediocre taco party for the LA chapter?
Camel. Goat as a close second.
Shrimp.
@OldCatLady Correct. Though it’s even better in a burrito.
@OldCatLady Taco Johns “Street Taco” fan?
@caffeine_dude Nope, local Florida favorite. Every diner/beach bar has its own variation.
I’ve never had a taco, so…
@TickledLizard Blasphemy!!!
@PocketBrain
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Regardless, it’s the truth. I’ve eaten plain taco shells, but besides that…
@TickledLizard plain taco shells?
@jbartus
@TickledLizard I know what they are, I was hoping you’d elaborate on the circumstances thereof.
@jbartus
Not really sure what kind of elaboration you expect me to give.
@TickledLizard No Tacos?
That’s weird.
@TickledLizard it’s just not something people tend to eat solo…
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@jbartus
All I’ll say, is that the fast food places I go to don’t serve tacos. (And keep in mind that I don’t eat out often, especially considering the prices. After all, like I once told you, a decent burger costs roughly $10 for me.)
@mfladd
If you knew anything about the real me, it would all make sense.
@TickledLizard but you ended up eating empty shells somehow… xD
@jbartus
Getting empty taco shells was never hard for me.
@TickledLizard I’ve never had one either. My food has to be separated from each other and since a taco is basically a hand-held casserole…
@looseneck That’s what my kids do. How old are you? Or perhaps you have super sensory sensitivity
/image super sensory sensitivity
@compunaut Old enough to have grandkids
I do have an aversion to loud, drunk people too.
@looseneck But loud drunk people are not really related to tacos. Are they?
@compunaut No, I’m just a picky bitch who wants things her way.
come on guys. beef tongue. it’s delicious!
@carl669 +1 For Lengua
@travo that and cabeza mmm
@carl669 How does that taste? (hyuk! hyuk!)
@carl669 Don’t think I’d ever want to eat anything that could taste me back!
@travo +1 for the +1
@connorbush haven’t had that, yet. how is cabeza texture wise? with most foods i dislike, it’s pretty much always a texture thing.
@PocketBrain @LaVikingA somewhere in the world, a drummer just went ba-dum-bum-tsh!, and has no idea why.
/giphy cabeza
@connorbush Cabeza? But…ew, other than the cheeks, there’s not much protein on/in a head except for BRAINS!
Nope. Not gonna try brains, nor eyeballs, or any other squicky parts. Truth be told, if I had to kill my own food, I’d learn to eat eggs and become some egg-eating, dairy-consuming vegetarian.
@LaVikinga Don’t eat brains. Back in the '80s we lived in Europe, when mad cow disease was loose, and Red Cross STILL won’t let me donate blood, because I might have it floating around my system.
How about the cheese?
@katbyter Paging @katylava
@galmaegi A nice blend of fresh, shredded, super-sharp cheddar, colby, and monterey jack … mmm … so hungry…
Bacon?
@katbyter I’ve made a BLT taco (very good) as well as a taco shell made out of woven strips of bacon and then stuffed with beef taco meat, guac, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. It was incredible.
tacos al pastor you stupid bastards… (sorry but this was just too glaring of a poll omission!)
Shredded beef - usually chuck
Real tacos do not use ground beef.
@narfcake Seriously, I can’t believe ground beef is winning! I sincerely hope these philistines are referring to picadillo tacos, which do use ground beef (and onion and chiles) but are straight legit.
But I’m afraid most of the people who voted beef are voting for those hard-shell, Taco Bell crunchy taco abominations.
Please, ground beef voters, restore my faith in humanity and tell me you’re referring to picadillo!
@rdean150 Taco Bell has its place in the world of finger food. It’s best eaten at 2 in the morning after drinking adult beverages all night with friends.
Of course, after a night of booming I’d rather stand half dressed in front of my open fridge eating leftover carnitas and guacamole with my fingers because it’s a shorter distance to my bed.
Also:
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/spectacolar
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/true-love
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/palindrome
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/taco-day-1
@narfcake The taco/hot-sauce tee is one of my favorites. I may have to pick up a replacement as it’s beginning to wear out.
@narfcake you forgot the best one tho
@Lotsofgoats This is absolutely one of my FAVORITE shirts. My first one got so nasty I bought another one. “The Greasy Grasp of God”.
Aptly named.
Brainz!
@mfladd turning carnivore into cannibal, one taco at a time
Tacos are a waste of protein. It’s the spices. Can’t stand the smell.
Over and out!
@Mehrocco_Mole
@Mehrocco_Mole The blend and balance of spices is what tacos are about!
Fresh ground cumin is a must! Blended with ground chilies, garlic, browned onions, fresh cilantro…
Crap. Now I’m hungry…
@daveinwarsh It’s the cumin I can’t stand. I love spices (started cooking with star anise. Wow!) but the smell of cumin turns my stomach.
@dano125 *him
@Mehrocco_Mole Won’t judge you since I know what it’s like to hear the gasps of surprise when I tell people I really don’t like eggs. Or fish (I despise salmon, or any freshwater fish, but I’ll eat milder salt water fish like mullet or shark if it’s deep fried). Or licorice. That crap gives me a wicked headache.
Lot’s of people hate on cumin and cilantro. Leave it out and make your tacos will other meats & seasonings that you do like. Embrace the deliciousness of your own creation.
@Mehrocco_Mole everytime i’m cooking with cumin, i do a double take on my armpits to see if i showered
@daveinwarsh what type of ground chilis? do you grind them yourself? if so, mortar/pestal or just blender type mechanism?
@Yoda_Daenerys I grind the whole cumin seeds for the best flavor. In my enchilada sauce, I use an Ancho and a New Mexico type dried chile. They are rinsed & mostly seeded then boiled in water. I save the water also, sticking them in a blender after they are cooked. Of course there’s other stuff, garlic, onion, beer, etc…
For heat, I add some of my roasted Jalapenos diced-up and Cayenne to taste.
I really don’t make my enchilada sauce very hot, as I like using sauces to do that at the table.
Oops… I guess we were talking tacos up there…
Taco meat just needs a bit of fresh cumin & cilantro added to the meat (after it’s mostly browned). That’s also when you add the onion, garlic, & if in a hurry, just dump a small can of Herdez Salsa Casera in with the meat. Add hot sauce at the table. Yum…
+2 for tongue
I love tacos. Extra hot sauce.
I voted ground beef, as that’s what I buy most often. I coarse-grind the beef myself when making them at home and brown the beef properly!
Fish tacos are really good also, but I’m picky about them being made correctly.
Shredded beef is pretty good in a taco, but is better in an enchilada.
Chorizo is better with eggs for breakfast!
Tacos pastor is so good, but not available around here.
My homemade stack enchiladas, using my Sonoran enchilada sauce is the best Mexican food there is.
(My skirt steak is pretty good too, cook on BBQ for 7 minutes).
For all you that selected beans… I think you are talking about the double decker from the bell ain’t ya???
@thismyusername That’s one ugly taco! My heart goes out to people in this country who will never experience authentic tacos.
@salaosantiago NO reasonable person expects authentic tacos at Taco Bell.
Turkey
Well what do you know, I had tacos for dinner today. I used equal parts ground beef and refried beans and cheesy crunchy shells.
It was leftover beef from when I had them last week with homemade tortillas (trying out bob’s red mill masa).
I voted carnitas though.
/giphy kitten tacos
Damn near everything offered in an authentic taqueria is delicious. Cabeza, lengua, al pastor, barbacoa, salchichas, desebrada, chicharrones (I think I spelled those correctly). I did once have goat barbacoa and it was a little gamey but I blame that preparation. Chorizo alone is usually too greasy for my tastes although it tastes great.
In a tex-mex place, steak is the way to go. Maybe shrimp, too.
And it’s great to branch out. Guaraches and sopes are also delicious. Sopes are my new favorite thing to experiment with at the new taqueria near my house.
Carne picada y papas!
@ruouttaurmind
“Minced meat (ground beef) and potatoes/dads/popes!”
I vow to make fish tacos tonight.
Always used to laugh at Fish tacos…then i tried one. Ever since it’s been my favorite. Beef tacos are just too greasy and fattening and taste good initially but feel horrible in your stomach after the fact. Fish doesn’t really have this after effect and depending on how it’s cooked can be far healthier than it’s beef sibling.
Tempeh!
Avocados… on fish tacos… yeah!
WHY IS BACON NOT AN OPTION BREAKFAST TACOS ARE A THING TOO OMG WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY LEAVE BACON OUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYY
@MEHcus bacon is universally overrated and does not belong in tacos FIGHT ME
@Lotsofgoats You may be the worst person in the world
@MEHcus
Then what would you call someone who’s never had a taco or bacon?
MEDIOCRE EMPLOYEES CONFIRMED CYBER BULLIES
@TickledLizard A silly nanny.
@MEHcus
I’m not a female goat though.
Alright, who dared vote tofu? Step up!
@ELUNO I did. Do you have a problem with that?
lengua and cesina are the winners for me, although I love a good fish taco. also if it’s not in two tortillas and it doesn’t have radishes then it’s not real.
@Lotsofgoats what are those (too lazy to google)
Back in the early seventies, one of my co-worker’s family members owned a little taco shop (I’m in San Diego, lots of taco shops, more taco shops than Starbucks).
And they made this thing called a “guac tac”. It was a partially rolled taco, shredded beef in the rolled part, the other part was flat. And they loaded it with lettuce and tomato and cheese and guacamole…it was heaven in my hands.
Now my favorite from a real taco place is a beef taco with guacamole. From a wannabe taco place is a soft chicken taco from Del Taco.
And rolled tacos with guacamole. And cheese and lettuce…ah, it’s only a little after seven and my mouth is watering…