just reading this makes me want to cry
People who are not from Texas just don’t get it.
They say, “Well, Chipotle is pretty good, right?” And they say, “Have you tried [pick the good Current City Mexican restaurant]? It’s amazing! You should try it!” And then they rave about how good this or that Mexican place is . . . without ever realizing that It Is Not The Same.
Tex-Mex is Different.
The New York Times, of all publications, though, has saved me from having to explain.
Because queso fundido is NOT the same as chili con queso (or, just queso, where I’m from). Enchiladas suizas? NOT the same. I love queso fresco, but no one in my hometown has ever even so much as thought to drop it on top of beans. And, speaking of beans, as much as I love both black beans and refried black beans, they are most certainly, indubitably, NOT the same as pinto beans simmered all day with bacon and then fried up in lard.
So the next time you think “Taco Bell” when someone says “Tex-Mex,” think of this article. Remember that “Tex-Mex” is its own regional cuisine—the tortillas are mostly flour (though sometimes corn), the cheese is always yellow, and the meat is (almost) always BEEF rather than pork. Sour cream is a condiment, not an ingredient, bell peppers are ONLY (and I mean ONLY) a vessel for a chili relleno (which, by the way, I despise—bell peppers are disgusting), and the sauce? Is always brown. No ranchero sauce, no verde sauce, no suiza. BROWN. GRAVY.
Mmmmm. Tex-Mex.
I second this! Chipotle is really good, but it is NOT Tex-Mex. Those pictures at the top of the article made me drool.
Can I hear an amen?! I agree on almost everything – chili rellenos are made from poblano peppers. Sure, it’s splitting hairs, since their big cousins are the bell pepper (which I like just fine), but there really is a difference in the flavor and spiciness.
I can’t believe that writer called a crispy taco a hard taco. I’ve never heard of a hard taco, only soft.
True enough, McPan. I hate any green-colored pepper if it’s recognizable as such, so I probably wouldn’t know the difference between a poblano and a bell.
I’ve heard of hard tacos. Not in Texas, of course.
And Hanah is also right–Chipotle is very good, I eat there often. But it’s not Tex-Mex. And people who have never had Tex-Mex don’t get it.
Curse you, K! I’m craving Tex-Mex, and it isn’t even 9am!
Some thoughts:
— Chipotle isn’t Tex-Mex; they’re a good example of a “San Francisco” or “Mission-style” burrito.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_burrito
See also, Freebird’s (College Station, Austin, etc…).
— My mom (Houston born, UT educated, lives in Austin, &tc, &tc, &tc) always made queso with Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes. I still do (but I usually add chili or chorizo). But then there’s Kerbey Lane with its white cheese queso. Which kind do *you* make?
— I *hate* bell peppers. Usually.
I miss Tex-Mex more than the family members I left behind in Texas. They can get on a plane to see me. An enchilada platter cannot.
You got it just right, LL. And enchilada platters don’t freeze well either. The worst part is not even being able to find the ingredients here. As if I could ever make them so well as Matt’s Famous El Rancho.
By the way, I make queso with Velveeta and Rotel.
All this talk of queso has got me hungry. For queso.
spot on regarding bell peppers…ooh, and Matt’s Famous El Rancho? good call! may have to hit that Sunday afternoon