I come down to Mexico City at least once a year to catch up with my friend Javier Burillo and each time that I do I make a beeline for the taco stands on the streets. There is no doubt that this city has the best tacos on the planet and today I am going to run down some of my very favorites.
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It seems that just about everything can be put into a taco and it is not just the taste, but also the culture that exists around the taco stand, a mini community of food lovers. If you happen to be in the city, here are some tacos you cannot miss out on.
Tacos al Pastor
These are probably my favorite tacos and they can be found almost everywhere in the city. Tacos al Pastor features the only filling that is cooked on a spit, inspired by the Arabs who once arrived in Mexico. This is pork meat which is heavily marinated and then layered on the spit, cooked slowly and served with a small slice of pineapple to add some delicious sweetness. Not only are these tacos pretty darn tasty, they are also the lowest priced tacos in the city and you can grab one for less than $0.25 in some locations.
Mixiotes
Another taco which delivers an explosion of taste are mixiotes, which are prepared in their own special way too. This is usually made with mutton and it is also heavily marinated with chilies, not hot chilies I should add, and then they are cooked inside bags and boiled slowly. The result is a soft and supple meat which tastes incredible. These tacos are served with softened red onions, radish, cucumber, habanero and a touch of salsa, along with the usual staples of cilantro and white onion.
Suadero
There are many kinds of tacos which you can choose from with beef as the filling, but this is the most common of them all. This particular cut of meat is from in-between the belly and the leg, and it is a very soft and tasty cut. The thin strips are fried up and then cut into tiny pieces before being filled into the taco. These offer a great flavor profile and they absorb the salsa and lime perfectly.
Seitan Tacos
As you can tell by the content of this post, I am not vegan, yet there are some really delicious vegan tacos out there. One of my favorite are those which are made with seitan, which is a soy-based product. Seitan pastor is a delicious alternative for those who wish to avoid meat and they are really taking off in Mexico City. Vegan tacos can be found in restaurants and on the streets, and they are certainly a great option for the ever-growing vegetarian and vegan community.
These are the first tacos which I try and get my hands on when I arrive in the city, which are your favorites?
