The Briefing Room
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Machiavelli on August 27, 2016, 04:45:52 pm
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Eat in OC
August 25, 2016
There are over 38,000 Mexican restaurants across the United States. Mexican food is the most popular international cuisine in the U.S., representing 42% of all ethnic food sales. It’s represented on the menus of one in every 10 restaurants in the United States. With so many Mexican restaurants to choose from, the real question becomes how to spot authentic Mexican food.
More (http://eatinoc.com/how-to-spot-authentic-mexican-food/)
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Interesting article!
I didn't know about Fajitas. I love 'em, but they're not the real deal.
Fascinating!
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This is in Scotland, I'm sure it's authentic!
(https://files.list.co.uk/images/2015/11/11/toroloco-extrior-high-lst187308.jpg)
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Nothing associated with this image is authentically Mexican.
(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)
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Mexican food is my one weakness. I pretty much love it all.....except for menudo. Not crazy about the tripe. Chile rellenos, prepared correctly, is my favorite.
Interesting how different areas of Mexico prepare dishes completely different from other areas.....with one consistent theme. It's all good!
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Nothing associated with this image is authentically Mexican.
(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)
I consider Chihuahua's to be authentically Mexican! But it's more like this:
(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tacobell/images/7/78/Taco-bell-dog.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20130424030355)
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I always look for the word 'AUTENTICO' in the business name, I mean they wouldn't lie would they?
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is bathtub cheese "authentic"
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Great. Now yer gonna tell me that this ain't authentic Mexican Music!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtW1gXmfJ2c
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I read the article and the author is correct on some things, but full of it on others. This guy doesn't know any more about authentic Mexican cuisine than the average white boy that works with a bunch of illegals.
@Unlimited
Since I'm pretty much ignorant about these things, being a Swedish girl from Ohio (our food is BLAND), which things were true and which not?
I'm curious.....
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My wife and I were hosting a visitor from the M.E. who had never had what we call Mexican food before. We took him to a Mexican restaurant close by and ordered the variety platter, so he could get a taste of everything.
The first comment he made was about how everything seemed to have beans in it. So every dish he tasted, he would say after eating it, "beans". He finally ordered the enchiladas and of course it came with a big serving of beans on the side. He says, "more beans?" I am chuckling the whole time. He asked me if the Mexicans were a bean based society?
So, finally we tell him about the traditional Mexican drink, the Margarita. We convinced him that he has to try one. He looked over and asked me what was in it. What is it made of?, he asked. I said, "Beans!" with the straightest face I could hold while watching his head cock over like a confused puppy. Then we all burst out in laughter and lightened the mood a bit.
Man, that happened a million years ago, and I still remember it clear as a bell. Damn that was funny. I guess you just had to be there.
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I dare say many Americans would not like "authentic" Mexican food. I however like variations of Mexican food, that are very tasty, like
--El Pollo Loco, and --Rubios.
El Pollo Loco started in Mexico in the mid 70s, and eventually expanded into the states. Now in CA, AZ, NV, UT, TX
EPL is very healthy and they have posted content in stores, since the Mexico ownership era. (Lindora's approved)
You will see plenty of "Mexicans" eating there. Good value for your money, too.
Both of these brands have excellent salsas, such as Pico De Gallo, chipotle etc.
I have had Tex Mex, and Arizona style but prefer Los Angeles style.
Some "authentic" sauces are lousy, btw. Too hot, no flavor.
http://www.elpolloloco.com/
Rubio's started in Sa Diego by young guys that discovered fish tacos, while surfing in Mexico.
https://www.rubios.com/menu
Overall my priority is "tastes good" above "authentic" (spent most of my life in SoCal with easy access to "authentic" if wanted)
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I dare say many Americans would not like "authentic" Mexican food. I however like variations of Mexican food, that are very tasty, like
--El Pollo Loco, and --Rubios.
El Pollo Loco started in Mexico in the mid 70s, and eventually expanded into the states. Now in CA, AZ, NV, UT, TX
EPL is very healthy and they have posted content in stores, since the Mexico ownership era. (Lindora's approved)
You will see plenty of "Mexicans" eating there. Good value for your money, too.
Both of these brands have excellent salsas, such as Pico De Gallo, chipotle etc.
I have had Tex Mex, and Arizona style but prefer Los Angeles style.
Some "authentic" sauces are lousy, btw. Too hot, no flavor.
http://www.elpolloloco.com/
Rubio's started in Sa Diego by young guys that discovered fish tacos, while surfing in Mexico.
https://www.rubios.com/menu
Overall my priority is "tastes good" above "authentic" (spent most of my life in SoCal with easy access to "authentic" if wanted)
To this day....I can't handle too hot/spicy food. And authentic Mexican food tends to be hotter than most Americanos can handle.
I remember once, while eating at a restaurant in Mexico City, my husband handed me a bite of chip and salsa. I asked him, pointedly, if it was hot...and he said no....so I took the bite. He lied. It was THE hottest thing I had (and have since) ever tasted. I swear I must have had smoke coming out of my ears, face red, eyes watering, choking, the whole routine. Real funny joke there, hon. The owner of the restaurant came by and offered me some sherbert or ice cream to quell the heat. Needless to say, I never fell for that again!
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To this day....I can't handle too hot/spicy food. And authentic Mexican food tends to be hotter than most Americanos can handle.
I remember once, while eating at a restaurant in Mexico City, my husband handed me a bite of chip and salsa. I asked him, pointedly, if it was hot...and he said no....so I took the bite. He lied. It was THE hottest thing I had (and have since) ever tasted. I swear I must have had smoke coming out of my ears, face red, eyes watering, choking, the whole routine. Real funny joke there, hon. The owner of the restaurant came by and offered me some sherbert or ice cream to quell the heat. Needless to say, I never fell for that again!
You would be just fine with those two restaurants, because you can select from various salsas and sauces, and apply it yourself.
I love Mexican food, but not too hot on the salsa or sauces.
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Interesting article!
I didn't know about Fajitas. I love 'em, but they're not the real deal.
Fascinating!
"Fajita" is actually a cut of beef. The guy who developed that cut was upset til the day he died that the term was being misused to refer to strips sliced from "his cut"...
...and heaven protect anyone who said "chicken fajita" within earshot!!
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"Fajita" is actually a cut of beef. The guy who developed that cut was upset til the day he died that the term was being misused to refer to strips sliced from "his cut"...
...and heaven protect anyone who said "chicken fajita" within earshot!!
:silly: :silly:
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You would be just fine with those two restaurants, because you can select from various salsas and sauces, and apply it yourself.
I love Mexican food, but not too hot on the salsa or sauces.
I make my own salsa but I have to make it with store-bought jalapenos because the ones I grow turn out waaaay too hot for my tastes. The ones purchased at Walmart are usually very mild.
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Of course, there is the question of what part of Mexico your authentic food comes from.
For me, you can't beat the San Diego taco shops (Robertos and the like).
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I dare say many Americans would not like "authentic" Mexican food.
In southeastern PA, an attempt was maee at authentic Mexican...
...and by that, it was nothing like what you'd see on what is usually called a Mexican menu. It was lots of Native American recipes from the mountains of Mexico.
It failed rather quickly.
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@Unlimited
Wow! Above and beyond the call of duty!
Thanks for all the info! :beer:
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Eat in OC
August 25, 2016
More (http://eatinoc.com/how-to-spot-authentic-mexican-food/)
@Machiavelli, do you don't have another link, do you? I'm getting a "not found".
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Ditto to Unlimited's analysis too. I used to go to Mexico quite often and still frequent authentic taco stands where no one speaks English several times a week and found the source article to be lacking or wrong. The big two I take issue with are the tacos- the fillings vary depending on where you are, cabbage is big there. Also, the tamale comment. They are cooked in corn husks or banana leaves but they usually don't serve them that way. In the husk or leaf is more of a fancy restaurant doing it for presentation. Also, regarding the cheese, they use a lot, it just doesn't resemble texmex, Cotija is firm and crumbly almost like a feta.
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@Machiavelli, do you don't have another link, do you? I'm getting a "not found".
@Sanguine
This is the link I have:
http://eatinoc.com/how-to-spot-authentic-mexican-food/
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@Sanguine
This is the link I have:
http://eatinoc.com/how-to-spot-authentic-mexican-food/
Thanks. For whatever reason, it wouldn't load while I was on metered service.
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"Fajita" is actually a cut of beef. The guy who developed that cut was upset til the day he died that the term was being misused to refer to strips sliced from "his cut"...
...and heaven protect anyone who said "chicken fajita" within earshot!!
I still don't know where to find the fajita meat on chicken.
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One more thing you'll find in authentic Mexican food than in Tex Mex or most American versions, a lot more veg. Especially squash, zucchini, corn and a variety of beans beyond pinto.
Yesterday I put a crock pot of dark mole on I got from the local Mexican market with a sliced up pork shoulder and let it cook for about 6 hours until the meat shredded. If you can find a place that does authentic mole, try it. Generally it is made from dried chili, chocolate, nuts, garlic, and spices, all cooked down into a thick, almost black sauce. (at least, that's my favorite style, there are many ways to make it).
(https://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/mole-poblano2.jpg)
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Well, I know I'm the odd-man out here, but I prefer Tex-Mex to Mexican food. Love enchiladas, nachos with flank steak, rice and refried beans cooked in bacon fat. Plenty of guacamole with cilantro. Mmmmmm....
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Well, I know I'm the odd-man out here, but I prefer Tex-Mex to Mexican food. Love enchiladas, nachos with flank steak, rice and refried beans cooked in bacon fat. Plenty of guacamole with cilantro. Mmmmmm....
I do too. Ummm! I prefer Chinese-American food to Chinese food, too.
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One more thing you'll find in authentic Mexican food than in Tex Mex or most American versions, a lot more veg. Especially squash, zucchini, corn and a variety of beans beyond pinto.
Yesterday I put a crock pot of dark mole on I got from the local Mexican market with a sliced up pork shoulder and let it cook for about 6 hours until the meat shredded. If you can find a place that does authentic mole, try it. Generally it is made from dried chili, chocolate, nuts, garlic, and spices, all cooked down into a thick, almost black sauce. (at least, that's my favorite style, there are many ways to make it).
(https://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/mole-poblano2.jpg)
That looks amazing, Abaraxas!
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That looks amazing, Abaraxas!
Just so I'm not lying, that is just a representative photo of dark mole, not the one I made although it looks pretty close.
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I prefer Chinese-American food to Chinese food, too.
My dear wife, who has visited China twice, agrees with you.
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My wife and I were hosting a visitor from the M.E. who had never had what we call Mexican food before. We took him to a Mexican restaurant close by and ordered the variety platter, so he could get a taste of everything.
The first comment he made was about how everything seemed to have beans in it. So every dish he tasted, he would say after eating it, "beans". He finally ordered the enchiladas and of course it came with a big serving of beans on the side. He says, "more beans?" I am chuckling the whole time. He asked me if the Mexicans were a bean based society?
So, finally we tell him about the traditional Mexican drink, the Margarita. We convinced him that he has to try one. He looked over and asked me what was in it. What is it made of?, he asked. I said, "Beans!" with the straightest face I could hold while watching his head cock over like a confused puppy. Then we all burst out in laughter and lightened the mood a bit.
Man, that happened a million years ago, and I still remember it clear as a bell. Damn that was funny. I guess you just had to be there.
Back in the 1930s and 40s my dad grew up with Mexican immigrant borders that rented a room in their large house. These borders shared in much of the cooking so he grew up knowing what real Mexican food was like, and he loved it. He had much of the same complaints about the Mexican restaurant chains later in life, being heavy on beans and tasteless hamburger, and no matter what you ordered it was all the same flavor - just presented differently.
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I do too. Ummm! I prefer Chinese-American food to Chinese food, too.
We sadly, have neither of decent quality here. There are no fewer than 20 Chinese buffets in town, and every single one of them are nasty.
We have one high end Chinese bistro which is quite good, but I would call it Chinese-American inspired, not really Chinese or Chinese-American.
Then the usual Panda Express which is when you run all out of other options.
What I wouldn't give for a good Dim Sum restaurant (or Indian, or Ethiopian, or Greek, or Brazilian, or hell, a good legit Irish pub).
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We sadly, have neither of decent quality here. There are no fewer than 20 Chinese buffets in town, and every single one of them are nasty.
We have one high end Chinese bistro which is quite good, but I would call it Chinese-American inspired, not really Chinese or Chinese-American.
Then the usual Panda Express which is when you run all out of other options.
What I wouldn't give for a good Dim Sum restaurant (or Indian, or Ethiopian, or Greek, or Brazilian, or hell, a good legit Irish pub).
Now, that is one good thing about Austin - pretty much whatever you want, they've got it. Including Greek, Ethiopian and Brazilian, Indian, Persian, and on and on. Irish pubs? Check.
This is my favorite Greek place: http://athenianbargrill.com/
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I do too. Ummm! I prefer Chinese-American food to Chinese food, too.
I'm right with y'all.