Food News August 29, 2007

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Many restaurants in town are designed to handle high volume tourist traffic.  Luckily for the workingman, there are five Mexican restaurants in town where you can casually get away from the mob scene and eat a taco so good you hope they’ll build a wall around Jackson Hole to keep the gapers out and our Mexican establishments in.

Not every taco is made equal, which may surprise you who were raised on Old El Paso or even Taco Bell. Some classic recipes are carne asada (flank steak/skirt steak), carnitas (pork), cabeza (cow brain), pollo (chicken) and al pastor, which literally means a shepherd’s taco.

The taco al pastor originated in Mexico City, where many of Jackson Hole’s Mexican workers come from.

The meat in a taco al pastor is often made on a vertical rotisserie, but can also be cooked on a flat iron griddle. Commonly, pieces of pork are marinated then stacked around a vertical spit with a pineapple on top and cooked. Meat is then sliced off, like lamb for a Greek gyro. While not every restaurant has a vertical rotisserie, they can still make a damn fine taco al pastor. Here’s what Jackson Hole has to offer, in no particular order.

Pica’s
The consistency at Pica’s is unparalleled.  It’s the only place in town that serves a type of green sauce specifically with their tacos al pastor, which adds a refreshing note to the perfectly charred pork. On the down side, tacos al pastor are one of their most expensive taco options, and Pica’s in Jackson can be crowded. Plus chips and salsa costs extra. But if you’ve never had tacos al pastor, this is a good place to get an idea of what it’s all about.

El Gordito’s
Tacos used to be $1.50, but are now $2. Despite the mark up, you can still eat lunch for under $5. Chips and salsa are homemade, free, and they have a salsa bar.  Their tacos al pastor here can range from triumphant to tragic – you never know what you’re going to get.  Order three different tacos at once and try many different salsas, at least one thing is bound to blow your mind.

Sanchez
Their signage and proximity to the Town Square had me pegging it as a tourist trap, but this is not the case, and when I first bit into Sanchez’s taco al pastor, I said out loud, “This might be the best in town.”  Their cilantro and onion topping is fresh, their pork is flavored evenly, and the tortilla is perfect. Although their pork is not charred, as it is commonly served, it is very flavorful.  Sanchez only offers two different salsas – spicy or mild – and both are decent, though not life changing. You have to pay extra for chips and salsa.

Jalisco’s
Jalisco is tranquilo.  Tacos al pastor isn’t a clear option on their menu, but rest assured, they have it, and it is good.  Their chips and salsa are addictive and complimentary.  For lunch, two tacos al pastor costs $4 and are served with a side of chipotle sauce, which compliments the al pastor flavor well.  Getting lunch for under $5 is a rare thing these days, especially when you’re being waited on. When they bring you the check, it always comes with a chocolate mint.  This place is the real deal.

El Abuelito
Many say this is their favorite Mexican joint in town, and they have a lot going for them, like their chips and salsa served with a type of relish that no one else does. But this is not the place to order tacos al pastor. When I went in to specifically order tacos al pastor, the tortillas were greasy and the meat was indistinguishable. No salsa was served with the tacos.  This is a good restaurant for a thousand other reasons, but not for tacos al pastor.

PERMALINK:
Food News August 29, 2007 | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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