Take-Out Tuesday: El Chilo Tacos
Loads of restaurants and food trucks offer tacos authenticos. But between the bao-fusion-a-la-cajun varieties that crop up from the hot new establishments (don't get us wrong, there is quality in novelty), it can be hard to find those truly authentic tacos authenticos.
It doesn't get more genuine than El Chilo Taqueria. Based in the heart of Minneapolis' Mercado neighborhood on Lake Street, El Chilo has a fleet of food trucks that can be found in every major Latino stronghold in the Twin Cities metro. The customers that line up at El Chilo's window are diverse, but they all crave the same thing: damn good tacos.
The mark of an authentic taqueria is whether the place serves organ meat. El Chilo lists both lengua (beef tongue) and tripas (beef intestine). Have no fear, El Chilo still has more familiar steak, chicken and marinated pork options. Regardless of how you mix it up or however many you get, each taco is only $2.
As luck would have it, the El Chilo in Shakopee only had carne asada by the time I got to the front of the line. But the three tacos I was graced with still satisfied cravings.
A taco shouldn't need any more than cilantro, fresh chopped onions and a spritz of lime–no Sriacha aioli, no kale, no queso sauce. House made salsa optional. I opted for El Chilo's mild salsa verde. Without the salsa, the tacos were a tad dry, but altogether the simple ingredients blended into a symphony of heat and savory. Acid, which is often replaced in American cuisine with more salt, is so critical in making a good taco because it amplifies the flavors while making them more cohesive. El Chilo delivers on the goods.
To wash it all down, grab a grapefruit Jarritos soda for another $2 to take home. Mix with a shot of tequila and more lime and you'll have a summery La Paloma, as recommended by Esquire. Significantly classier than a frozen marg and with the added benefit of fizz, La Paloma is the perfect drink to have on the porch on a warm spring evening as you shamelessly shove yet another taco al pastor in your face. Is there a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Pairing: Authentico
Price: $
Post-dinner drunchies: Chicarron doused in Valentina hot sauce
Location: In Minneapolis, orange food truck on the corner of 12th Street S and Lake Street. In Shakopee, on the corner of Marschall Road and Eagle Creek Parkway. Rain, shine or subzero.
