Toro Taco

My dad bought an RV, he called it the motorhome, and he took a couple of grand tours of North America. Then he kinda stopped using it. I used it a few times for tours of the southwest, the west coast, and weekend trips here and there, mostly there.

This story happened on his second grand tour in Mexico. The RV had a device where the truck generator could switch between charging the battery of the truck and the battery of the cabin. Unfortunately, the fuse of this battery charger blew, so the cabin had no electricity. Then, the fuse was one that was unfamiliar to any and all mechanics that we encountered in Mexico.

When we got to Mexico City, my dad charged me with finding this mysterious fuse. There was a section of the city that was devoted entirely to stores and shops and repair places of all things electronic. Within 15 minutes the fuse was found.

While exploring this part of Mexico City, I saw a long line of guys getting lunch. There was an old couple with a wood fire under a sawed off 50 gallon drum and a metal plate and some bowIs on an improvised counter. I got in line. At the head of the line the old lady was making hand made tortillas on the metal plate, and not with a tortilla press, but truly by hand. The old man was making tacos from a beef head roasting in the drum. We could order two tacos, they would only sell two at a time. The price was a peso each, which at the time was $.12 US.

Absolutely one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Like the other guys in line, I went to the back and waited to get my two more tacos and then back again and back again and back again until they closed up shop. The meat from every bit of the head was different and delicious. The tortillas were exquisite and tasty and so fresh. The salsas, five or six kinds, were all exceptional.

Someday I hope to have a meal that good again.

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."

George Bernard Shaw