Does anyone know or have pork taco recipes for either Pepe's, El Taco real
in Hammond IN, or Leroy,s in Porter IN

"Chris and Tina" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone know or have pork taco recipes for either Pepe's, El Taco real
> in Hammond IN, or Leroy,s in Porter IN

Would you be interested in a series of suggestions based on the millions of
taco stands in Mexico that cater to a never-ending line of salivating
customers with coins in their hands ready to pay for the delights? Or are
you only interested in north American fare?

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

>
>

"Chris and Tina" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone know or have pork taco recipes for either Pepe's, El Taco real
> in Hammond IN, or Leroy,s in Porter IN
>
It has been said and written in lore, that the first ever taco was invented
by Hernan Cortez himself as he accepted a chunk of deep fried wild piglet in
the port of veracruz using a corn tortilla much as Lord Sandwich did, to
hold the meat while eating it so as not to dirty one's hands. Of course
historians know that the tortilla patty has been around since the discovery
of how to grow corn and hybridize it to grow more abundantly every season.
And the use of the tortilla as a kind of fork, spoon or chopstick to move
food from one place to the mouth in easy swoops. Be that what it may,
today's tacos defy dictionary definitions since they are innumerable.

Start with Taco Bell and the hard tortilla shell used to receive ground
beef, greens and cheeses to the large wrapped flour tortilla covering for a
burrito and everything in between. Then move a thousand miles south to your
nearest taco stand on any corner and ask for a taquito con todo... and they
will ask if beef, pork, head, barbacoa, birria.... and the 'con todo' means
guacamole, cilantro, salsa verde, salsa roja, chile de arbol, with radishes
on the side, with onions... or by itself in it's own juice but always on a
corn tortilla or two placed on a butcher's paper napkin used as a plate
where you will then lean forward so as to not let the juice stain your new
shirt and eat like a Coney Island hot dog.

In my humble opinion the very best and the very healthiest tacos are made
from deep fried port which has been rendered to where there is nearly zero
fat and called "carnitas". A freshly made hand patted corn tortilla, a few
pinches of carnitas laid in the middle, a spoonful or two of guacamole, a
sprig or two of cilantro, a spoonful of salsa de chile de arbol or any other
great tale sauce, a squirt of lime juice and dash of pepper and into the
mouth. That is a true gastric orgasm and for that reason this note can be
considered food porno if anybody cares. I don't mind.

If this is of interest to you I will post one or two variations on
converting pork chunks into delectable pallet delights without much effort
on your part. Just respond to this note in this newsgroup and spread the
word!

It's free!

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

All three of these places (Pepe's not as much) have a certain hot yet sweet
taste. You can't stop eating them!
"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Chris and Tina" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Does anyone know or have pork taco recipes for either Pepe's, El Taco
real
> > in Hammond IN, or Leroy,s in Porter IN
>
> Would you be interested in a series of suggestions based on the millions
of
> taco stands in Mexico that cater to a never-ending line of salivating
> customers with coins in their hands ready to pay for the delights? Or are
> you only interested in north American fare?
>
> Wayne
> www.pueblaprotocol.com
>
> >
> >
>
>

Chris and Tina wrote:
> All three of these places (Pepe's not as much) have a certain hot yet sweet
> taste. You can't stop eating them!

Here's how to make a delicious tinga de puerco (some might call it
"barbecued pork", but it doesn't need to be barbecued):

Boil one or two pounds of pork for an hour and a half.

Put about one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat it
up.

Put the pork into the hot frying pan and keep stirring it when it
sticks. A little water judiciously added will unstick the pork if you
don't want to add more oil.

When the pork comes apart and begins to look like long strings, stir in
8 ounces or 16 ounces of Knorr's chipotle sauce or guajillo sauce and
keep stirring as it all thickens. Add a tablespoon of Maggi powdered
chicken flavor bullion.

Use the above tinga de puerco on your tacos and you won't want to stop
eating until you're full. It tastes SO good.

The secret is the MSG in the bullion...

"Chris and Tina" > wrote in message
...
> All three of these places (Pepe's not as much) have a certain hot yet
sweet
> taste. You can't stop eating them!
---replay---

Sweet and spicy tacos... Tacos in Mexico are like sandwiches in the US.
There is no clear definition except that a sandwich consists of a slice of
bread at the bottom and a slice on top and anything that will fit in
between. A taco is a single or double tortilla that fits in the palm of your
left hand and is ladled with anything that will fit along the equator and
then rolled into a thing that ends up looking like a giant cigar upon which
you chew from one end to the other being careful not to let whatever juices
from whatever goodies that filled the taco onto your new T shirt just
purchased from the street vendor with your name on it.

So let's start. The very first thing a person must do to appreciate and
eventually evaluate a taco is to start with a freshly made, or heated white
corn tortilla. Yellow corn is for feed for the cows! The white corn tortilla
must be malleable, that is, can be rolled into a cigar like shape without
breaking. You take that heated tortilla and sprinkle some sugar on the top
surface, then roll it, and eat it. Learn the flavor of the tortilla and
sugar, mix them in your mouth and play with the different proportions of a
bit more sugar or a bit less, and let the tortilla dominate the senses. Make
it happen.

Next phase in learning to discern a good taco from a not too good taco, is
to move to the next phase. Take a freshly warmed or made white corn tortilla
and make sure it can be rolled without breaking. Put a bit of salted butter
and spread it across the full surface of the tortilla. Roll it, and as
above, eat it, letting your mouth discern tortilla from salt from butter and
listen to your taste buds. If you are a normal person you will never want to
do more than eat corn tortillas with salted butter... and a dash of salt...
or a dash of red pepper... or a bit of sugar.

But since you are graduating to higher and better gastronomic scales, you
will want to get into fillers other than sugar, butter and salt. So the next
thing might be a piece of roasted chicken pinched apart to lay in a half
ounce or so into the middle of the tortilla, where you add a bit of salsa
casera (table salsa like Ro-Tel)... roll it and eat as above.

Notice that I have not included yellow grated cheese, chopped lettuce,
onions or other goodies. We are still in taco basics. This is where you will
be teaching your palate how to appreciate new flavors, textures, scents and
the like.

Now you should start experimenting with other stuff to tease your taste buds
into accepting or rejecting the basic flavor of a white corn tortilla. In
Ensenada they deep fry fish that has been dipped into a batter and sell as
fish tacos. Along the many highways in Mexico you will see stands where big
copper vats are boiling pork carnitas rendering the port fat free for use in
a taco, other places you will see the head of a cow and how they are cutting
away at the cheeks, brains, tongue to serve you a taco filling called
'cabeza'. In other places you will have a kind of chile made from beef or
goat boiled in a red pepper sauce that is not too hot, but kind of sweet,
called birria. You add hot peppers to make it hot otherwise it's kind of
sweet.

Let me know if you find this of interest because I can go on for another
hour or two. This is one of my favorite subjects.

Wayne

In article >,
"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote:

> A taco is a single or double tortilla that fits in the palm of your
> left hand and is ladled with anything that will fit [...]

We can get some pretty good tacos in Minnesota, surprisingly.
Something I've wondered about for years, but never thought
to ask anyone--why is it that sometimes there are two tortillas?
Perhaps it's like asking "why is the sandwich bread dark
sometimes and light other times?" Are you expected to eat
a double-tortilla taco differently from a single? I
should simply watch some of the Mexican folks and see
what they do, but when the food hits my plate the rest of
the room is covered by a red mist until I'm finished....
and then I move directly into a digestive torpor.


Mike Beede

"Mike Beede" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Wayne Lundberg" > wrote:
>
> > A taco is a single or double tortilla that fits in the palm of your
> > left hand and is ladled with anything that will fit [...]
>
> We can get some pretty good tacos in Minnesota, surprisingly.
> Something I've wondered about for years, but never thought
> to ask anyone--why is it that sometimes there are two tortillas?
> Perhaps it's like asking "why is the sandwich bread dark
> sometimes and light other times?" Are you expected to eat
> a double-tortilla taco differently from a single? I
> should simply watch some of the Mexican folks and see
> what they do, but when the food hits my plate the rest of
> the room is covered by a red mist until I'm finished....
> and then I move directly into a digestive torpor.
>
>
> Mike Beede

The same thing happens here in Chula Vista and across the border in Tijuana.
I think it has to do with customer perception and competition. The best taco
stands fill the taco beyond it's ability to be rolled and a second tortilla
is used to help blend tortilla and goodies. If the taco looks huge from a
distance, the taco shop will attract more business. If the taco looks lean,
then the choice will be to walk to the next taco stand. In my opinion tacos
are best when on a single tortilla and the filling and sauces are moderate
so that the taste buds have a chance to appreciate the combination as being
chewed. When I make tacos at home I make them single with thin flexible
white corn tortillas that don't crumble nor break when rolled around the
goodies. Some taco stands serve them on a plate and I've seen people
actually eat them with knife and fork! (Which defeats the purpose of finger
food).

Wayne

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>
> Sweet and spicy tacos... Tacos in Mexico are like sandwiches in the US.
> There is no clear definition except that a sandwich consists of a slice of
> bread at the bottom and a slice on top and anything that will fit in
> between.

Except, of course, for open faced sandwiches.

> A taco is a single or double tortilla that fits in the palm of your
> left hand and is ladled with anything that will fit along the equator and
> then rolled into a thing that ends up looking like a giant cigar upon
which
> you chew

It is more often eaten folded over and the top edges bent over the filling
than being rolled, IMHO. There is also the East L. A. Style which has a
counterpoint in Mexico. It is a tortilla folded over (again from the middle)
a meat and/or other filling that can be cooked, and deep fried. The thus
crispy tortilla can then be cracked open and additional fresh fillings can
be added as desired.

<VARIOUS SNIPS>

> So let's start. The very first thing a person must do to appreciate and
> eventually evaluate a taco is to start with a freshly made, or heated
white
> corn tortilla. Yellow corn is for feed for the cows!

What is all this about white tortillas? I've never heard of any massa other
than white. Well, I have actually heard of blue, but consider it a New
Mexican affectation.

> Now you should start experimenting with other stuff to tease your taste
buds
> into accepting or rejecting the basic flavor of a white corn tortilla. In
> Ensenada they deep fry fish that has been dipped into a batter and sell as
> fish tacos.

Sure, they sell fish tacos in Ensenada, but no more than anywhere else in
Baja and Southern California. It has been well documented that fish tacos
were invented in San Felipe.

> Along the many highways in Mexico you will see stands where big
> copper vats are boiling pork carnitas rendering the port fat free for use
in
> a taco, other places you will see the head of a cow and how they are
cutting
> away at the cheeks, brains, tongue to serve you a taco filling called
> 'cabeza'. In other places you will have a kind of chile made from beef or
> goat boiled in a red pepper sauce that is not too hot, but kind of sweet,
> called birria. You add hot peppers to make it hot otherwise it's kind of
> sweet.
>
> Let me know if you find this of interest because I can go on for another
> hour or two. This is one of my favorite subjects.
>
> Wayne

There are my personal favorites: Tampico style and Carne Asada. Just the
thought gets my gastric juices flowing!

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
>.---snip----
>
> There are my personal favorites: Tampico style and Carne Asada. Just the
> thought gets my gastric juices flowing!
>
> Charlie

Tampico style! What a truly delightful concoction! I'd never even heard of
it until we took a trip to Mexico on the train from Chihuahua to the DF and
it was on the menu. This was 1970 and passenger service was delightful. I
don't think it exists any more.

For those of you who have never seen the Tampico feast, imagine an oval
platter, a scoop of heavenly guacamole on the right, three rolled San Luis
Potosi style enchiladas on the upper center, a choice tender beef filet in
the lower center, refried beans with a few deep fried tortilla pieces stuck
in them cuddled in there next to the beef, a chile relleno coaxed into
position above the beans and next to the enchiladas. A steam basket filled
with fresh hot white corn tortillas, knife and fork, abundant salsas,
cilantros, chiles, limes, salt, peppter handy... and time to enjoy. You cut
thin slices from the meat, put in the center of a fresh tortilla, add a
scoop of guacamole and refrieds, roll it up and chomp away. Next bite a
forkfull of enchilada followed by a couple of chunks from the chile relleno
and the red sauce into a tortilla with a cheat of beef, close it up and bite
into it. Oh, don't forget a squeeze of lime before ziping it up!

Boy does this bring back memories! Like you, this is probably my favorite of
all Mexican combinations.

Wayne

>
>

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:11:32 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
>"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>>

>There is also the East L. A. Style which has a
>counterpoint in Mexico. It is a tortilla folded over (again from the middle)
>a meat and/or other filling that can be cooked, and deep fried. The thus
>crispy tortilla can then be cracked open and additional fresh fillings can
>be added as desired.

Gorditas?


>> Now you should start experimenting with other stuff to tease your taste
>buds
>> into accepting or rejecting the basic flavor of a white corn tortilla. In
>> Ensenada they deep fry fish that has been dipped into a batter and sell as
>> fish tacos.
>
>Sure, they sell fish tacos in Ensenada, but no more than anywhere else in
>Baja and Southern California. It has been well documented that fish tacos
>were invented in San Felipe.

Well, that is the version first imported into SoCal and, specifically,
San Diego by the Rubio Brothers has a San Felipe origin. Others were
in existence, but that is the version the Rubio's adopted and
introduced into Pacific Beach.


jim

> wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:11:32 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>
>
> >There is also the East L. A. Style which has a
> >counterpoint in Mexico. It is a tortilla folded over (again from the
middle)
> >a meat and/or other filling that can be cooked, and deep fried. The thus
> >crispy tortilla can then be cracked open and additional fresh fillings
can
> >be added as desired.
>
> Gorditas?
>
>
> >> Now you should start experimenting with other stuff to tease your taste
> >buds
> >> into accepting or rejecting the basic flavor of a white corn tortilla.
In
> >> Ensenada they deep fry fish that has been dipped into a batter and sell
as
> >> fish tacos.
> >
> >Sure, they sell fish tacos in Ensenada, but no more than anywhere else in
> >Baja and Southern California. It has been well documented that fish tacos
> >were invented in San Felipe.
>
> Well, that is the version first imported into SoCal and, specifically,
> San Diego by the Rubio Brothers has a San Felipe origin. Others were
> in existence, but that is the version the Rubio's adopted and
> introduced into Pacific Beach.
>
>
> jim
>
Another interesting import to California by way of the Tijuana taco stands
is McDonalds. The McDonald brothers were so impressed with the speed these
Tijuana taco shops fed the waiting crowds that on the way back to their
humble hamburger joint in LA decided to try the fast food concept. The rest
is history.

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

> wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:11:32 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> >There is also the East L. A. Style which has a
> >counterpoint in Mexico. It is a tortilla folded over (again from the
middle)
> >a meat and/or other filling that can be cooked, and deep fried. The thus
> >crispy tortilla can then be cracked open and additional fresh fillings
can
> >be added as desired.
>
> Gorditas?

If you are responding to my discussion of East L. A. Style tacos, then no.
These tacos have nothing in common with gorditas.


> Well, that is the version first imported into SoCal and, specifically,
> San Diego by the Rubio Brothers has a San Felipe origin. Others were
> in existence, but that is the version the Rubio's adopted and
> introduced into Pacific Beach.
>
>
> jim

No so dear Jim, no so. You do have the the Rubio's part right -- according
to the Rubio's --, but the rest is not correct. I'll not argue it with you
as I am too lazy to look up previous documentations.

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> > wrote in message
> > >
> > Gorditas?
>
> If you are responding to my discussion of East L. A. Style tacos, then no.
> These tacos have nothing in common with gorditas.

Jim. After reading this, I see that my reply was idiotic. Of course you were
replying to my query about a Mexican counterpoint. I'm sorry I messed up! I
don't think gorditas are correct. If I remember correctly, gorditas use a
thickish tortilla. The East L. A. Style, use a regular thin type of
tortilla.

Again, my apologies.

Charlie

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 07:54:41 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:11:32 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >There is also the East L. A. Style which has a
>> >counterpoint in Mexico. It is a tortilla folded over (again from the
>middle)
>> >a meat and/or other filling that can be cooked, and deep fried. The thus
>> >crispy tortilla can then be cracked open and additional fresh fillings
>can
>> >be added as desired.
>>
>> Gorditas?
>
>If you are responding to my discussion of East L. A. Style tacos, then no.
>These tacos have nothing in common with gorditas.
>
>
>> Well, that is the version first imported into SoCal and, specifically,
>> San Diego by the Rubio Brothers has a San Felipe origin. Others were
>> in existence, but that is the version the Rubio's adopted and
>> introduced into Pacific Beach.
>>
>>
>> jim
>
>No so dear Jim, no so. You do have the the Rubio's part right -- according
>to the Rubio's --, but the rest is not correct. I'll not argue it with you
>as I am too lazy to look up previous documentations.
>
>Charlie
>


Well, time for a beer or two, Charlie. I cannot recall seeing fish
tacos in San Diego prior to the Rubio's starting up, but then, I
haunted the drearier taco stands. I did eat them in Baja before that
time, though.

One thing for sure, Rubio's made them mainstream.


jim

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:03:24 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
>"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> > >
>> > Gorditas?
>>
>> If you are responding to my discussion of East L. A. Style tacos, then no.
>> These tacos have nothing in common with gorditas.
>
>Jim. After reading this, I see that my reply was idiotic. Of course you were
>replying to my query about a Mexican counterpoint. I'm sorry I messed up! I
>don't think gorditas are correct. If I remember correctly, gorditas use a
>thickish tortilla. The East L. A. Style, use a regular thin type of
>tortilla.
>
>Again, my apologies.
>
>Charlie
>

In that case, I'll join you for a beer.


jim

> wrote in message
...
>
> Well, time for a beer or two, Charlie. I cannot recall seeing fish
> tacos in San Diego prior to the Rubio's starting up, but then, I
> haunted the drearier taco stands. I did eat them in Baja before that
> time, though.
>
> One thing for sure, Rubio's made them mainstream.
>
>
> jim

Indeed! Rubio's made them first in San Diego. According to my shaky memory,
they went from one San Felipe shop then to others in SF. They then went to
San Diego then to Rosarito, TJ, and Encinada in that order. I can't swear to
it as I didn't do the research and it has been a long time since I have seen
it.

Charlie, clinking beer bottles with Jim

Then there's another style of Pork Taco all of you failed to mention,
that some of the little stands serve, Al Pastor, (Mmmmmm!)

Pork Cutlets marinated, and placed on a spit like Greek Gyros. Slices
are cut with a knife, sometimes then placed on the grill, the go into
the tortilla. Very good indeed, and this seems to be a highly "guarded"
recipe. Mark

"Mark D" > wrote in message
...
> Then there's another style of Pork Taco all of you failed to mention,
> that some of the little stands serve, Al Pastor, (Mmmmmm!)
>
> Pork Cutlets marinated, and placed on a spit like Greek Gyros. Slices
> are cut with a knife, sometimes then placed on the grill, the go into
> the tortilla. Very good indeed, and this seems to be a highly "guarded"
> recipe. Mark
>
My favorites from the little hole in the wall taco stand all over Mexico!

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 12:49:15 -0600, (Mark D) wrote:

>Then there's another style of Pork Taco all of you failed to mention,
>that some of the little stands serve, Al Pastor, (Mmmmmm!)
>
>Pork Cutlets marinated, and placed on a spit like Greek Gyros. Slices
>are cut with a knife, sometimes then placed on the grill, the go into
>the tortilla. Very good indeed, and this seems to be a highly "guarded"
>recipe. Mark



Usually with a chunk of pineapple on the top of the spit. Love these.

Go here for a look and a recipe from one of our own:

http://members.chello.nl/j.pulido1/R...al_pastor.html

There are variations of this. Actually wrote the pineapple bit before
finding the link.


jim

Dang, seeing that website, with the man slicing the Al Pastor off the
Spit really tortured me! lol

I haven't had this in about 2-1/2 years, and I'm dying for it!

When I lived in Chicago, lots of the smaller neighborhood restaurants,
and hole in the wall Taco Stands would make this, and like the website
says, a bit of Onion, some Cilantro, and some nice, and hot dark red
Salsa Arbol definitely did the trick. Wash it down with some ice cold
Horchata, or better yet an ice cold Carta Blanca, and I was in heaven.
:-)

On occasion, I'd ask them to fry it up some more, and to fry it mixed
with onions on the grill, then put into tortillas.

Right now, I only live 85 miles north from Juarez, Mexico, and I have
seen Al Pastor there, but didn't get the opportunity to stop, and have
some. The next time I'm ever in Juarez, I will definitely make it a
point to have some. Mark

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 21:14:21 -0600, (Mark D) wrote:

>Dang, seeing that website, with the man slicing the Al Pastor off the
>Spit really tortured me! lol
>
>I haven't had this in about 2-1/2 years, and I'm dying for it!
>
>When I lived in Chicago, lots of the smaller neighborhood restaurants,
>and hole in the wall Taco Stands would make this, and like the website
>says, a bit of Onion, some Cilantro, and some nice, and hot dark red
>Salsa Arbol definitely did the trick. Wash it down with some ice cold
>Horchata, or better yet an ice cold Carta Blanca, and I was in heaven.
>:-)
>
>On occasion, I'd ask them to fry it up some more, and to fry it mixed
>with onions on the grill, then put into tortillas.
>
>Right now, I only live 85 miles north from Juarez, Mexico, and I have
>seen Al Pastor there, but didn't get the opportunity to stop, and have
>some. The next time I'm ever in Juarez, I will definitely make it a
>point to have some. Mark

Should be some places near to you, espeially near El Paso. Try
haunting the other side of your local tracks. Might ask some nearby
Mexican residents.

We have these places all over San Diego, don't have to go cross the
border.


jim

Hi Jim, Yes, El Paso, and Juarez are right next to one another.
Although I have never seen any places serve Al Pastor in El Paso, it's a
fairly big town, and I've certainly not seen all of it. (Been there
about 7-8 times)
Mark