Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tacos El Rey #2


An associate and I went to T.E.R. #2 last night and had adobada tortas that were delicious. It was about 20 degrees but we discovered T.E.R. #2 has an indoor eating area. We took our food home anyway, but it is nice to know that on these frigid nights eating at a truck is not out of the question.
I ordered a champurrado and realized that it is different than hot chocolate. Champurrado is a thick, chocolate drink made with masa farina (hominy flour), piloncillo, water or milk and occasionally containing anise seed and or vanilla bean (tasting somewhat like a thick chai tea). Atole drinks are whipped up using a wooden whisk called a molinillo (or, a blender). The whisk is held between the palms of the hands, then moved back and forth in the mixture until it is aerated and frothy. I remember getting a molinillo for Christmas one year - a year with a 1 and a 9 in it. There was probably an 8 and then one more number like a 3 or 4. All I was told is that it was for stirring chocolate. But I did not understand why chocolate needed to be stirred and if it did why it required such a specialized stirrer. Now it makes sense.

Piloncillo are small bricks of sugar cane.
Atole drinks are hot drinks with corn starch or masa farina.

This truck is in Garden City on 42nd and Chinden blvd a few blocks East of El Torito. It is open until 10 pm.

Car or bike

5 comments:

Monkey Pants said...

Your tireless research and selfless disquisitions are an inspiration. I'm hungry.

jonathan said...

Thanks for being my biggest fan! If fan you be. And if big you be.

Dev said...

Went here tonight.

The Pollo and Adobaba are excellente. I didn't see it on the menu but they also serve Carnita. A small pregnant woman ordered 5 lbs. of Carnita and 5 Carnita tacos. Cinco Tacos?! Ay! She said her Mexican husband knows a thing or two about Carnitas and this is the place to get it. She also ordered rice water (horchata). Damn, I need to follow the master orders more often.

Robert Lemon said...

Hi Jonathan. I like your blog, some very interesting photos you have taken of some revealing characteristics of taco-scapes. I am Ph.D. geography student doing a bit of research on Taco Trucks traversing virtual spaces and places. I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me about Taco Truck blogging. Could you please email me at rdlemon AT gmail DOT com. Thanks!
Robert

OREGON CARNE said...

son los mejores tacos definitivamente.
los mejores son de tripa.