**** El Potosino has closed
I had heard that El Potosino Mexican Restaurant in Lemon Grove made good Cabeza(Beef Head/Cheek) tacos. So we took a drive down to the strip mall near the intersection of Federal Boulevard and College Ave. You could say, I really work hard looking for some……..cabeza.
Entering the large and "breezy" dining area, we looked over the fairly large menu that included Mojarra (usually deep fried tilapia), Cosido De Res(Beef Shank Soup), and all the usual suspects.
We decided to try several of the "meats" and the best platform would seem to be ordering several tacos. We started with Shredded Beef($1.89) and Cabeza($1.89) Tacos. First off these tacos were pretty large. The shredded beef was served in a fried corn tortilla "shell", and overall was pretty bland, and forgettable.
We had made this trip mainly for the Cabeza, so the Cabeza Taco was the focus of my attention. The Cabeza taco was served up in the traditional way, with onions and cilantro, in a mediocre, brittle double corn tortilla. The portion size was fairly large. This cabeza was just okay, fairly gamy, but lacking the condensed beef flavor I was looking for, and not nearly as tender as my favorite Cabeza tacos. The meat was very much like head cheese, and cut into chunks, and more waxy than moist. Not bad, but not good.
In order to "cover" the meal, in case the Cabeza and other tacos are horrid, we will always order a few standard tacos, like the Beef(above) and a Carne Asada($2.29), along with a Adobada($1.89). The Carne Asada, was moist and tender, but flavorless. In fact, this tasted like a guacamole/pico de gallo taco.
The Adobada was the real winner. I had thought that Adobada was pork stewed in a "red" sauce, that included oregano, vinegar, and chipotle. But this Adobada seemed really close to Al Pastor, the dry rubbed, and sometimes marinated pork, usually grilled on a vertical spit(trombo). In fact this would qualify as a real good Al Pastor in my book. The meat was nicely grilled and caramelized, with a balanced "chili" flavor, slightly spicy, with some sweet hints. Delici-yoso!!! I enjoyed the additional taste the onions and cilantro added to the taco, and a squirt of lime brought it all together. If I ever return I'll have an Adobada Burrito, maybe an Adobada with Rice Burrito.
Overall the adobada made this a successful trip. The tacos here seemed to be on the expensive side but were quite large. In fact we left El Potosino more then satisfied. As is the norm, a red and a green hot sauce is served with the tacos. The hot sauces are pretty unremarkable, the green sauce has a better flavor.
El Potosino Mexican Food
6929 Federal Blvd
Lemon Grove, CA 91945
If you get an adobada with rice burrito, it’s DEFINATELY fusion! ::laughs:: So, um… buscando cabeza… ::shakes her head and rolls her eyes::
Hi Jo – That burrito is on the menu! buscar la cabeza en todos los lugares del mal……LOL!
woo can you speak spanish kirk? You never fail to surprise with hidden talents 🙂 would’ve loved to try that adobada (what does it mean anyway?) Very appetizing pictures. I have now decided to read blogs after dinner to avoid getting hungry ;)BTW sorry a little side question… today I bought a 2.5 kg (approx 5 pounds) cold roasted turkey breast on special ($20 down from $32)any ideas on what to do with it besides salads and sandwiches?
Kirk,
Sorry the cabeza taco wasn’t so great, but the adobada sounded awesome.
Rachel,
You can make a turkey pot pie, chiles rellenos, turkey soup, kimchi and turkey stirfry, Stirfry without kimchi, turkey curry, bbq turkey sandwhiches, you can make croquettes, turkey enchiladas, turkey hash, turkey chili, turkey and rice casserole, turkey tacos, turkey spring rolls,turkey quesadilla, turkey lasagna roll ups…Okay I better stop now. Rachel if you need some recipes let me know. 🙂
That cabeza looks weird. But glad you found something good. Mexican restaurant terminology will vary from restaurant to restaurant even in a place as small as Yuma.
Hi Rachel – Me No hablo español. I wish I did. I’m getting to the point; with some help from Ed, where I can order items other then Carne Asada from menus. The Missus, said “of course, the only reason you’d learn anything would be because of food….” I think that Adobada in Spanish literally means “marinated”. From the little I understand, this type of marinade usually is a chili based “red” sauce with vinegar and oregano.
Hi Mills – The Adobada was very good.
Hi Ed – Unfortunately, all the Cabeza I’ve had in San Diego has pretty much been this way – waxy chunks.
Hey Kirk: happy belated holidays to you too! Cabeza…like cesos, are probably not on my favorite list of tacos, but then again, maybe I should try it before I make the judgement call.
good taco hunting Kirk
one of these days I’m gonna try some cabeza
Happy holidays, Kirk and everyone!
I think I read that the adobado dish often starts out as stew-like, but as you cook it down, the sauce pretty much evaporates leaving just the meat. In any case, it’s tasty!
The cabeza dish is one that I’ve always been afraid of ordering since I thought I’d end up with a big tortilla filled with brains. Now that I know better, I’ll give it a try!
I just came back from holiday vacation, and the first thing I had to do, was log on to Mmm-Yoso, to catch up on your newest restaurant reviews and posts! However, I realized that I forgot to wish you and the Missus a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” So I’ll do it now (although it is a bit tardy): I hope that you and your family have a wonderful and mmm-yoso holiday season, and ring in the new year with hopes of many delicious meals to come!
Hi Penny – Happy holidays – I’m not quite sure about sesos, I keep thinking “mad cow”, but am ok with oreja, lengua, and cabeza. In fact I rather have cabeza then lengua.
Hi Bandini – I’ve yet to find good cabeza here in San Diego. I’m sure I’ll read about your cabeza adventures!
Hi Howie – Sesos is brain, usually the cabeza we get is cheek meat, or like head cheese.
Hi PE – Happy New Year to you too! I hope you had a nice little vacation.
Hey Rachel, next time get a turkey loin and I’ll teach you how to make Spanish style turkey stew. VERY yummy!
Kirk, you are down right naughty! ::gives a quirky grin::
My dad like sesos, but deep fried in olive oil. ::shudders:: He serves them with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Howie, you are safe with cabeza, stay away from the sesos dude!!!!
Wow Jo and milly those recipes sound yummo ! will mail you for some.
Hehe I know what you mean about learning how to order in another language. I think in the 11 years since I’ve been here I only use chinese to order food 😀
Hi Jo – I’ll just claim ignorance…
Hi Rachel – Being able to order in Cantonese is very helpful….as is being able to order in Mandarin!
I found your site while doing a Google search for “eating cesos.” You have a fantastic site. I will definitely add you to El Blogroll. Keep up the great work.
Hi Jay – Thank you for the kind words…I appreciate them. You’ve got a fine blog as well.
http://www.jaymichaelrivera.blogspot.com/
I’m really surprised you can actually find tacos de cabeza in the states. I spent a whole week trying to find some while I was last there.
Hi M..ETAL – Where were you in the States? Many of the taco shops here in San Diego serve Cabeza, even the “gringo” ones.