Lisa Paradise:
Juicy, spicy tacos dipped into a cup of
piping hot consomé. If you're not
paying attention, you could walk
by some of the best tacos in New York City. Customer: I've had
tacos all over the world, and this is probably one
of the best I've ever ate. I have to stop here
every day after work. [laughing] Lisa: Queens has some
of the most diverse food in the continental US, and one of the buzziest
new spots here is this unassuming
taco truck. Now, I love very
little in this life more than a good
taco, and these tacos, these specific kinds of tacos have been taking over
my Instagram feed, they've been
taking over LA, they have finally
hit New York, and I cannot wait to get
my hands on them, so let's go check it out. Food truck Birria-Landia opened in the fall of 2019, and it didn't take long for New Yorkers to take note. It even received a
two-star review from The New York Times, which
rarely covers food trucks. Brothers José and
JesĂșs Moreno run the whole operation, with JosĂ© taking the day
shift to prep and cook and JesĂșs staying until
the early morning hours to serve hungry night owls. There are only four
items on the menu, tacos, tostadas,
mulitas, and consomé, and each is
stuffed with this: a spicy beef stew
called birria, which has its roots in Mexico
but has, in recent years, dominated the Los
Angeles food scene. José Moreno: I
went to California, and these tacos of birria are so popular
over there in LA. I get back to New York, I feel like I miss them. The only way, if I want to
eat tacos of birria again, is if I make them. Nobody
sell over here this way. Lisa: The birria begins here, in a shared kitchen
space where various New York City food
trucks prep for service. Three times a week, José fills these
four massive pots with the ingredients
needed to make enough fresh birria
to feed an army. José: I'm using all my
experience of 20 years to put in this taco birria.
We make with love. Like, we take the
time to pour the salt piece by piece.
Then you let it rest, that meat can
absorb the salt, and then it's much better. Lisa: In its birthplace
of Jalisco, Mexico, traditional birria is made
with lamb or goat. But because it's a
bit more accessible, Birria-Landia's
take starts with 100 pounds of beef,
cut into large chunks and seasoned generously
with salt and pepper. To each pot, José adds
a blend of spices, all of which he measures
not-so-precisely with a serving spoon. Paprika, bay leaves,
oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves,
salt, and pepper. He blends together
chipotle peppers and fresh onions,
boiled guajillo peppers, and garlic â like,
a lot of garlic â to give this dish its
signature depth and spice. The blender is tiny, so it
takes a lot of batches to pump out enough puree
to flavor all this birria. The birria is left to marinate for about four hours,
then separated. The beef from the
stew is chopped up and used in the tacos,
mulitas, and tostadas, and the broth is
saved to make a hearty cup of soup
called consomé. Then it's all packed up and
loaded onto the truck. Birria-Landia parks
in the same spot starting at 5 p.m. every day, on Roosevelt Avenue in
Jackson Heights, Queens, right under the elevated
tracks of the 7 train. The perfect spot for hungry
commuters and pedestrians. José: People from
everywhere are
eating my tacos, and that make
me so happy. We are in the right
moment. Right now, it's tacos fever, all New York. Lisa: Once parked,
the real work begins. These tacos are
all about flavor, so it's no wonder
the tortillas are dipped in the residual
fat from the consomé. Not only does this add flavor and the signature
bright red color, but it also saves
some money because there's no
reason to buy frying oil. They're topped with the
beef from the birria stew, of course, then onion
and fresh cilantro. Customer: I usually don't
like tacos in New York City because of the tortilla,
because it's pretty bland, and these are very good. Lisa: Was it worth
coming out here on this cold, cold
day to eat a taco? Customer: We live
right around here, so it's just a walk for us. Lisa: Oh, so you're
cheating. [laughs] OK. And according to chef José, if you don't get a cup
of consomé to dip
your tacos in, you're doing it all wrong. José: We are right now
the classic taco de birria. This is the classic.
It's the meat, onion, cilantro, and sauce. This is the magic. This is the magic, it's true. You eat the taco and the
consomé in one bite. So, I mean, this is genius. Lisa: On a day like
today, when it is 25 degrees outside, this is the best thing I could have thought
to have eaten. You can tell with the meat that you really took
the time to season it. And it's spicy, but it's not
overwhelmingly spicy. José: Yeah, it's.... Lisa: It's built for all
different kinds of palates. And the tortilla. It's, like, crispy, but it's soft. José: Exactly. You have both
texture when you eat it. Lisa: Yeah. I could
eat 12 of these. [laughing] José: A lot of people,
they just dip the taco, eat, then finish, and
they left the consomé. Lisa: That's a crime. The
consomé is the best part. Next time I have a cold, will you bring this
to my house? [laughing] José: Of course, yeah. Lisa: This is very special. José: Thank you so
much. Lisa: Cheers. Both: Cheers. José: One day one lady,
this is true, it's true, one lady tell me, "Can I
have one of these to go for my boyfriend?" I say, "Yeah." She say, "Two." I say, "Oh, you have
two boyfriends?" [laughing]
Cotija cheese. It's an aged Mexican cheese.