Tacos Peralta – San Mateo

Tacos Peralta
342 E Hillsdale Blvd
San Mateo, CA 94407
Rating: ♣♣♣♣

One thing that I love about working in the Peninsula is the great, cheap eats that are close by.  I love to eat at sit down places where I can just sit and talk to my coworkers about random things like Glee and P90X, but when we’re down for some awesome, fast mexican food we go to Tacos Peralta.  It’s not a Taqueria, it’s what people call a roach coach.  However, it’s not one of those trendy food trucks that serve Fancy Desserts or Gourmet Sandwiches.  This one has been in the same spot for the last couple of years that I’ve been coming here.  Nestled in front of a BevMo and gas station, this is probably the best place to drop a food truck, especially one that has these long lines which requires ample parking space.

The Food

When I come here I always get the Tacos.  Can you believe they are $1.25!  The best part is you get your choice of awesomely flavored and cooked meat.  I started experimenting with every type of meat they had on the list: Carnes Asada, Pastor, Cabeza, Lengua, Pollo, Tripa, Chorizo, and Carnitas.  My favorite by far is Cabeza.  Yeh, for all you non-Spanish readers, that’s head.  There’s something about the way they grill the head meat, and there’s nothing wrong with eating it if it tastes awesome. The meat is placed on top of corn tortillas, mixed with onions, and some hot sauce with pickled carrots, and a lime on the side.

I’ve given their Quesadilla a try, but I felt that my heart has fallen for the tacos.  Quesadillas are $4 and are pretty much the same, except they use a flour tortilla and add cheese.

The Scene

So, the truck is always in front of BevMo, and there’s always a line during the main dining hours, rain or shine.  There was once a time where a different truck showed up instead of Tacos Peralta, and my dining companions and I had a little tear.  Three grown men, crying on the side of a road (a little more than a tear, I guess).  Well, all in all, this is just a taco truck, and people shouldn’t go there.  I just want to keep the lines really short.

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Town Hall BBQ Line – San Francisco

Town Hall BBQ LineTown Hall BBQ Line (back of Town Hall)
342 Howard Street
(between Beale St & Fremont St)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Neighborhood: SOMA

Rated: ♣♣♣♣

I’m so glad the Town Hall barbecue line is back! I first discovered the BBQ line last year and have had more fried chicken sandwiches than I can count. Although not as good as Bake Sale Betty’s, the sandwich ties me over since paying $5 for toll to cross the bridge makes the meal one expensive sandwich.

The scene:

The BBQ line is a row of tables and a huge grill set up behind Town Hall. Items on the menu include the popular fried chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwiches, ribs and jambalaya. They even have a chocolaty dessert and home made chips. The only downside is that there’s no inside seating allowed. There’s a row of decorative rocks that you can picnic at, but it’s ideal for eating ribs or a messy sandwich.

The food:

Fried Chicken Sandwich – This sandwich is very similar to the one at Bake Sale Betty’s – fried chicken breast, crusty bread and cole slaw. The differences are in the cole slaw. It’s tart from the vinaigrette and spicy from the jalapeños. I went with a few co-workers and we sat on the rocks by the BBQ stand. I’m a slow eater, so I finished half my sandwich when everyone was ready to leave. I ended up going back to my desk and finishing the other half. Ugh, what a fatty I am!

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Buy One Get One Free at Jamba Juice – Ends 4/25

Enjoy!

Jamba Deal

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The Best Burger Tips

Courtesy of Flickr

Now that we’re in Spring and Memorial Day is right around the corner, TheCultureBite wanted to share some tips for making some Awesome Burgers for your next outdoor BBQ.

The Meat

  1. Grind Your Own Meat. Or have the butcher grind it for you. For juicy burgers, make sure you use coarse ground burger patties.
  2. Your Burgers Need Fat. No fat, no taste. Keep fat to about 20%.
  3. Add a Dimple. Press your thumb in the middle of the burger to minimize bloating
  4. Salt And Pepper. That’s it. Adding other ingredients increases the chance that a burger will fall apart.
  5. Form, then Salt. Form the Burger before adding Salt. Preferably, salt right before grilling.
  6. Beef… it’s what to Grill. Turkey and Buffalo are alright, if you are lame, but if you are awesome, then you’ll use Beef.
  7. Keep Meat Cold. The worst thing for your burgers is to allow them to warm in your hands.

The Technique

  1. Do no Press the Burger. You don’t like it when your Dad/Boss/Spouse, stands over you while you are working on something important, and neither does your meat.
  2. Flip Once. Build those Grill Marks, then Flip.
  3. Flip, Then Cheese. Cover the Grill to evenly melt the cheese.
  4. Toast, not Roast, the bun. Nobody likes to eat burnt bread. Lightly Toast it and keep the center nice and moist.
  5. Hot Grill, Good. Make sure the Coals are well heated, not heating. When you are getting a good heat, burgers should just spend 4 minutes on each side.
  6. Use a Thermometer.
  • 120°F and below for rare (red/raw in the center)
  • 130°F for medium-rare (pink and warm)
  • 140°F for medium (totally pink, starting to dry out)
  • 150°F for medium-well (grayish pink, significantly drier)
  • 160°F and above for well done (completely gray, very little moisture)

Add your own Tips in the comments!

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Mom's Kitchen – Profiteroles (Cream Puffs)

Profiteroles

Note: My mom is so cute, I found this post she wrote for me in my inbox. Thanks, Mom!

My mom recently saw an article about home made profiteroles.  After looking at the recipe she thought it was very similar to a cream puff recipe she’s been using for decades. In fact it was in the first cookbook she received as a wedding gift back in the 70′s…Craig Claiborne’s The New York Times Cookbook.  My mom hadn’t made them in years since my dad now is king of the kitchen.

Whether it’s profiteroles or cream puffs you are making, it starts out the same. It’s really Choux pastry or pate a choux, which means it is cooked twice.  The first time is when you fearlessly dump the flour into the boil mixture of butter and water and whip it in a frenzy into a ball of dough. Then, it’s transformed into delicious, crispy puffy balls waiting to be filled with whatever sweetness you desire …whipped cream, ice cream or custard.

This no-fail recipe is easy, according to my mom.

Check out the recipe after the jump.

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