I will die on the hill that Tex-Mex is a valid and beautiful fusion cuisine, organic in the sense that it grew up around a blended community and locally available and preferred ingredients. The identifiable roots go back easily 160 years or more to the Chili Queens of San Antonio, and even the Enchilada platter with yellow cheese is going on a 100 by now. It’s heavy and not particularly healthy, and should be eaten in moderation (please ignore my waistline), but Christ-on-a-cracker, some tamales smothered in chili con carne with a side of refried pinto beans, accompanied by fresh tortilla chips and a decently spicy salsa roja (complimentary of course!)… I am HERE FOR IT.
100%! I love the differences in the tacos you get in San Antonio or Austin or Dallas and even different parts of the city and whether it comes on a plate or rolled in aluminum foil. brisket or barbacoa or suadero and the places where you would swear someone’s grandma is in the kitchen making tortillas. I can’t stand a bland crunchy taco shell, but when someone fries a corn tortilla and it wraps around the taco …that’s the best! Theres a place near me that makes the best cheese enchiladas. It’s a chicken place and I usually have to take it back because they always try to add chicken, but when they get it right it is so incredible that I could eat it everyday. Instead of a ranchero sauce or a chili con carne, they have this stewed pot of spiciness with tomatoes and onions and garlic and peppers and heroin I think. Oh, there’s another place that does something they call enchiladas monarcas that i think involves a little bit of parmesan cheese.
I will die on the hill that Tex-Mex is a valid and beautiful fusion cuisine, organic in the sense that it grew up around a blended community and locally available and preferred ingredients. The identifiable roots go back easily 160 years or more to the Chili Queens of San Antonio, and even the Enchilada platter with yellow cheese is going on a 100 by now. It’s heavy and not particularly healthy, and should be eaten in moderation (please ignore my waistline), but Christ-on-a-cracker, some tamales smothered in chili con carne with a side of refried pinto beans, accompanied by fresh tortilla chips and a decently spicy salsa roja (complimentary of course!)… I am HERE FOR IT.
100%! I love the differences in the tacos you get in San Antonio or Austin or Dallas and even different parts of the city and whether it comes on a plate or rolled in aluminum foil. brisket or barbacoa or suadero and the places where you would swear someone’s grandma is in the kitchen making tortillas. I can’t stand a bland crunchy taco shell, but when someone fries a corn tortilla and it wraps around the taco …that’s the best! Theres a place near me that makes the best cheese enchiladas. It’s a chicken place and I usually have to take it back because they always try to add chicken, but when they get it right it is so incredible that I could eat it everyday. Instead of a ranchero sauce or a chili con carne, they have this stewed pot of spiciness with tomatoes and onions and garlic and peppers and heroin I think. Oh, there’s another place that does something they call enchiladas monarcas that i think involves a little bit of parmesan cheese.