Tex-Mex - Food of the Manteca Gods

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Forget the Alamo. San Antonio is about Mexican food. Specifically: Tex-Mex. More specifically: the indulgent bliss of the #3 lunch plate special for $4.99 – two cheese enchiladas, one beef taco, refried beans, rice, two flour tortillas and iced tea. Chips and salsa come free.

When friends come to visit San Antonio, the proud epicenter of Tex-Mex food, it is usually their wish and certainly my duty to introduce them to the local flavors. I promptly direct them away from the River Walk and into one of the older neighborhoods of San Antonio, where the best restaurants are – the ones that serve handmade tortillas with that perfect fluffiness-dusted-with-flour texture.

Though it took a beating over the years from the haute-cuisine establishment, Tex-Mex is finally coming into its own as a world-renowned 'cuisine' – which even devotees have a hard time calling it for the elitist ring of the word. It began to get a little respect when people like Robb Walsh began writing celebratory cookbooks about Tex-Mex for its simple, comforting qualities and historical context.

Being a South Texas native, I've always taken the local food for granted – at times loving it, at times being sick to death of it. I even went through a brief defection phase when I proclaimed Cal-Mex to be superior to its less-cosmopolitan sibling. I've since made room in my heart for both, placing them on equal footing with each other and with their illustrious parent, el arte culinario de México.

[To clarify: Mexican cuisine, sometimes called 'classic' or 'interior,' is composed of regional specialties featuring rich, spicy, sauce-based dishes like mole, chile relleno or pescado veracruzana, with corn (never flour) tortillas. Cal-Mex is represented by the burrito and lots of vegetables and seafood, particularly fish tacos. Tex-Mex uses four basic ingredients – meat (usually beef or chicken), pinto beans, rice and tortillas (flour or corn) – in various combinations; it is flavored with cumin but is not spicy-hot until you add salsa or raw jalapeños.]

The Greatest Hits of Tex-Mex Cuisine:

• Enchiladas (with onions)
• Handmade flour tortillas
• Soft chicken tacos
• Crispy beef tacos
• Fajitas (beef or chicken)
• Chalupas compuestas
• Quesadillas (beef, chicken or cheese)
• Pork tamales (especially popular during the holidays)
• Huevos rancheros (breakfast staple)
• Menudo (tripe soup - delicious!)
• Barbacoa (hint: this is not barbecue)
• All breakfast tacos*

For those who can't make it to South Texas and want to take a chance on their local "Tex-Mex" fare, a good measure of quality is the salsa – which is served up-front, so you have time to change your mind before ordering. As a general rule, if it's Pace Picante Sauce or in any way reminds you of Ragu, leave. But if it's made from fresh ingredients and has both bite and balance, you're probably in good hands.

* Note on breakfast tacos:
Ubiquitous in South Texas, breakfast tacos are distinct from their lunch or dinner counterparts and are available in nearly every local restaurant (Mexican and otherwise), as well as the local gas mart, grocery store deli and diner, running about $.99-$1.99 each (sometimes two for a $1). Their names slide effortlessly between English and Spanish: chorizo-and-egg, bean-and-cheese, country-con-huevo, potato-and-egg, barbacoa (weekends only), and carne guisada. All are served in flour tortillas by default, but you can request corn.

LINKS

• Tex-Mex cuisine: [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex-Mex_cuisine]
• San Antonio information: [www.sanantoniocvb.com]
• River Walk: [www2.mysanantonio.com/specials/RiverWalk/]
• Robb Walsh: [www.robbwalsh.com/01cookbooks/5texmex.shtml]
• Mexican cuisine: [www.amazon.com/Essential-Cuisines-Mexico-throughout-recipes]
• Breakfast tacos: [www.texasmonthly.com/food/recipes/9911_tacos.php]