Guisados: The Stewy King of All Tacos

I will be trying this. Hell I throw everything on tacos anyway.

"All over Mexico City—and Mexico for that matter—tacos de guisados can be found on the streets, at taquerias, and in markets. They’re served out of charred, brick-orange cazuelas or pragmatic steam tables that contain any number of humble stews whose swampy appearance belies their deliciousness. There’s something for everyone: spicy conchinita pibil, gelatinous pigs’ feet in salsa verde, earthy blood sausage, picadillo studded with peas, huitlachoche, smoky rajas with crema, soft squash and sweet corn, gizzards in salsa roja, chicken tinga. Sometimes there’s also rice and beans on offer as well as hard-boiled eggs, fritters, and pancakes. But I’m searching for the kind of stuff that bubbles on the stove of the abuela I’ve never had. I’m looking for the juice."


"Because soulful food isn’t neat and tidy. A taco de guisado should drip down your wrist and onto your plate. At the recently closed Tacos Gus—a spot formerly located in the tranquil neighborhood of Condesa—a plastic plate is prudently covered with a plastic bag, which is promptly removed and tossed when you’re done so the plate can be reused for the next customer. Joe and I ate there on that first trip to Mexico City and have returned ever since. With over a dozen selections of guisados, the little spot offered vegetarian options that were as satisfying as the chorizo con papas. Once you selected your filling, it was quickly popped into a sturdy little corn tortilla, and then it was up to you to upgrade by adding wilted, paper-thin slices of raw onion in habanero or choosing a salsa. The first time we ate here, it was a revelation—it was like the ultimate fast food. If your mom made it."




taste of cooking