On a recent post "Dee" mentioned Tacos El Gordo, and damned if I didn’t forget about the place. So on a recent trip to Hogetsu Bakery, I managed to talk the Missus, a recent taco convert into some tacos from Tacos El Gordo. I’ll usually "hit" the H street location of ‘TEG’, since it’s right off the I-5.
Little had changed at TEG over the last few years; I believe that prices had gone up a dime. But over the last two years, much has changed in the mmm-yoso household…with regards to tacos. Where before, I’d only order the Carne Asada…and if I were feeling really brave, perhaps the Adobada(Al Pastor), nowadays, it was a whole different story. We now order the stuff that’s boiling away in the cauldrons behind the counter.
We didn’t give the Asada a glance…..we had moved on…aaah, how fickle the mind of the Asian Taco lover is! And no Sesos(Beef Brain) today…bummer!
Though we did give in to the temptation of the Trompo.
The drill is simple you order your tacos, and take it over to the cashier stand along with any drinks, she checks out your tacos(keep it clean guys), and you pay. And enter taco nirvana. We ordered all of our tacos with "everything".
The Lengua(Beef Tongue – $2) was nice and tender, though a bit smothered in Salsa Verde. It was a bit on the mild, rather than "wild" side as far as lengua was concerned. It was still quite good.
My usual favorite, Cabeza(Beef head/cheek – $1.75), was good, beefy in flavor, and very soft. Not the best I’ve had, but quite good.
I have not had Suadero before, when the Missus stepped up to the counter and asked the Gentleman what suadero was, he raised his bent arm perpendicular to his body, and moved it up and down. I told the Missus, "I know what it is…it’s meat from the wings of a cow!" She was not amused, but brightened considerably when handed a generous sample. The suardero, in this case beef shoulder, had been cooked for a long time, it had a nice rich beef flavor, and I kinda thought of it as "beef carnitas".
The favorite of the day was the Adobada(Al Pastor). Cut fresh from the trompo(verticle spit), the pork had a mild spiciness, with a hint of sweetness. The meat was slightly chewy while still moist. The Missus is not a big fan of "white sauce" on Her tacos, but loved this version as it complemented, not overpowered the tacos, by slightly buffering the spice, and balancing out the flavor.
You may wonder "why only 4 tacos?" But this stuff is quite rich, and we felt satisfied sharing the four tacos. We saw two pretty hefty guys eating six tacos each…..I’m sure that they’d be ready for a nap soon after lunch.
So the next time you’re in the mood for some Cabeza……..
Tacos El Gordo De Tijuana
689 H St
Chula Vista, CA 91910
And other locations…..