Living in Mexico I'm often asked about the most typical / authentic Mexican food I can recommend. This used to be a no-brainer: Tacos of course! Until you think about it, and realize that tacos is not so much a dish than a means of eating it. In fact, just about anything you can grab with a tortilla instantly becomes a taco. So after a while I would mention one of my favorite dishes of all time, the chilaquiles. Sure enough, it's quite ubiquitous all over Mexico, it can be as simple or as fancy as you like, carnivorous or vegetarian (even vegan is possible, though its availability is a bit of a stretch). Nice. But is there really nothing more authentic than that?
What You Would Find in a Typical Mexican Kitchen
So let's see. Clearly the dishes with best authenticity would be what a typical housewife cooks for her family on an average day. Though Mexicans are known for their hospitality, not everyone will have a ticket straight into such a typical kitchen. In fact, even if you're invited, chances are the lady of the kitchen will prepare something extraordinary! So what food would be most similar to everyday Mexican cooking that's instantly available to anyone? The answer is Tacos de Guisado.
Street Food at its Best
Walking along most streets in Mexico City, as well as most other towns, it's impossible not to see the myriad of food stands lining the sidewalks: tacos, tortas, fruit and juices, ... and yes: tacos the guisado! For those who see an immediate red flag concerning the safety of street food, let me put your worries to rest: the only time either me or anyone I know has come down with any food related sickness, was after eating at (more-or-less) fancy restaurants, rather than at street stalls.
My reasoning for this counterintuitive pattern is the following: restaurants can afford a bit of reputation drop and the loss of a customer or two, if someone gets sick. For a street stand, on the other hand, that is their livelihood. Also, instead of (social) media their business is solely based on word-of-mouth reviews. So by their nature they are forced to be 100% clean, which they always make sure. But so much about my own theorizing about how the invisible hand of the market forces it to be hygienically clean, and let's see what these tacos de guisado include.
What One Would Expect at Home
Guisado means something like a cooked meal. And at a typical stand of tacos de guisado* you can get a number of options on the most typical dishes, in portions of about 2-3 bites, on two tortillas (since one would break quite easily). This way you can try a number of dishes, depending on how hungry you are. For me, even when I'm starving, four tacos, or five at the max, are pretty sufficient.
The most common options are chiles rellenos (a not too spicy poblano pepper filled with cheese and fried in egg-batter) and salchichas rellenas (the same thing with a hot-dog). The former is a huge favorite of mine, the latter not so much. Then there are usually various forms of chicharrón (pork rinds), a few types of meats, and the usual suspect I've never even tried: a hard-boiled egg on rice. Occasionally they will also have some less common specialties, such as moronga, a very tasty blood sausage.
Usually they ask you if you want your order with or without rice, but since that is pretty much just a filler, I usually go without. Even though the dishes are generally hot, they may be warmed up right there for you, and you are free to use the salsas, beans, and limes to add to your taco.
All in all, I can highly recommend trying tacos de guisado, as they offer a huge diversity of the most typical dishes Mexicans like to eat at home ... or at street stands.
For more delicious Mexican dishes, check out my series What to Eat in Mexico.
