Folks, today on Crossing South, we visit a colloquial but classic taco road in Tijuana.

And the place famous for its Black Onyx steaks.

And its coming to you now!

(upbeat music) The city of Tijuana has become so hip with so many new things.

But some of the old stuff is still here.

There is a taco row which was a go-to place for multiple generations of local Tijuanonians.

(soft music) For nostalgic Tijuanonians, everyone knows that the classic place to eat tacos is a taco row called Las Ahumaderas.

It's been here since 1960s.

We're gonna go see that right now.

(soft music) Sometimes you're just in the mood for a taco.

So of all these individual ones that are here on this row, I wanna give each one a fair shake.

So I'm gonna ask each one, you know, for their best two tacos.

(speaking in Spanish) Okay, so first one's got some classic carne asada, chorizo, tripe, all charbroiled.

(soft music) Okay, so there's a lot of innovation going on with food in TJ.

Well, even with tacos, so many variations, but for the purists out there, if you want to know what the Genesis of the taco in Baja is, this is it.

Imagine from the '60s to now, this taco is probably unchanged.

This is the classic Tijuana taco.

Okay, so here's the carne asada and now, okay.

Adobada.

Thank you, thank you.

And this is the adobada of the Al Pastor.

We've had this before, but this is it.

This is the row.

This is where Tijuanonians would come, you know, Friday night after drinking, after being at a club, got munchies, but going hungry.

This is where they hit.

This is a very famous row.

So on any given weekend, you come here on a weekend night, it's going to be full of locals that you're gonna be able to interact with.

Let me just, let me just get in there.

Hmmm.

It sure is and oldie but goodie, you just can't go wrong.

You cannot go wrong.

You know, I've been doing a little bit of research and across Europe, countries are going crazy for the typical, ordinary, average pedestrian Mexican taco.

They are going nuts in European cities.

And you have it right here, right across the border from the U.S. Oh, man.

This adobada one, has a spicier sauce than the carne asada.

It's hitting me.

(laughs) You need a strawberry soda.

That's my advice, that's my advice.

I don't drink soda at all but when you eat street tacos in Mexico, there's just something about that strawberry soda.

It tastes so good.

(speaking in Spanish) Wow, that just hit the spot.

Okay, so this was El Paisano.

There's four here.

So this is El Paisano.

First one, done, check.

So now for the next taco stand, El Paisa.

Let's see what they have in store for me.

Okay, so he's gonna give me an asada and adobada tacos here.

So that they could very well be the same, all of them.

We'll see, we'll see.

But it's a pretty cool row.

So you get what you get, you get the purist original you know, Tijuana Baja taco.

But I would argue that these better than any, any tacos anywhere in the country, so.

You'll be well-served if you come to TJ.

He's gonna give me a variation.

He says he's gonna give me a carne asada with chorizo taco.

So- - Asada chorizo.

- Oh my good- Okay, so that's a variation right there.

Full of flavor.

Chorizo's always good.

(speaking in Spanish) Right.

So, they have these radish slices.

Sometimes they give you full radishes for you to bite into.

Side veggies with your tacos.

But don't get diverted from the objective.

Man, oh man.

You got the job, senor.

This guy's filling my plate up faster than I can empty it.

These tacos are like traveling back in time.

Sure, you could say stagnant if you have been up to date with all the innovations in culinary cuisine, but it's also like a purist taco.

If you want to know what tacos have been like for a long time, this is the place to come to.

Okay?

Th- these guys gave me an asada and they're making a samurai taco.

So, these guys varied a little bit.

(cook chopping) Okay, he's got some cheese.

It's like an asada taco, but with a bed of cheese.

So their samurai taco.

You see the beginnings of variations occurring.

A bit of saltiness from the cheese.

You know what?

They're all good.

Some a little better than others.

Sometimes you're just in the mood for taco.

Not everyone gets the quesadilla.

And I was not crazy about these quesadillas in particular.

I've liked the basic tacos the best.

As I stagger to the last taco shop to get my last two, to try them all.

This is the one at the very end.

It seems to have the most people.

We'll see if it's better than the other ones.

(orders in Spanish) I've given everyone the same challenge, "Give me your two best tacos."

Now most of them seem to want to go with their typical asada and adobada.

They could- You get the same.

All the other ones are "El Paisano", "Los Paisanos", "El Paisa", there are, there are variations of the paisano.

This one is called Three Salsa.

So this is the last one and with a different name.

So I'll tell you what I think, okay?

Okay, so this guy was braver.

So one, the asada, carne asada taco is a staple of the Mexican taco, you know.

Lore, hall of champions, repertoire.

So everyone had that in common.

Now this guy, for a second taco though, he gave me a tripa taco, a tripe taco.

So this is before I give my verdict.

So this one from Tres Salsas, okay.

Oh, man.

Such, such goodness.

How can a culture have so much goodness with something so relatively simple?

Let's try the tripa one.

Oh, man.

You want to try the classics?

Ahumaderas is the place to go.

You will not find finer classic tacos anywhere.

You almost, you don't feel like you come here for a nostalgia, right?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Because there's so many other taco places all over TJ.

- Yeah, I know.

- But this is like the nostalgic place to come to, right?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Okay, so I just want to tell you what my experience was.

So the level of goodness, it's pretty even on all four of them, but as of today, the experience that I got?

The best tasting tacos for me today, could be different tomorrow, was the El Paisano, the one that has a yellow sign.

But like I said, if you go to any one of these, the level of deliciousness is pretty even it was just my experience today.

So I hope you liked it folks.

We're Crossing South, coming your way.

Don't go anywhere.

Las Ahumaderas is an oldie but goodie, a classic historical row.

But now we want it to level up and try something a bit more upscale.

And we found such a place.

You know, the state that's right adjacent to Baja is the state of Sonora.

That's the large desert state, it's cattle country.

It's Mexico's cattle country.

Allegedly the best beef in all of Mexico.

Now Baja has a restaurant native to Sonora and it just boasts that it has the best beef and it brings it to Baja.

Not only that, it's got a very, a unique distinction because it brings also Black Onyx beef from Australia.

So combine best beef in Mexico with prime beef from Australia, this could be interesting.

It's called Palominos and we're going to it right now.

It's Crossing South, folks.

Stay with us.

Palominos is also a look back at what Baja was known for back in the day, before they learned how to consume the wealth of seafood that is endemic to the region, before the culinary revolution.

For many years, perhaps as recent as the '80s, going to steak house was it.

Many of the old famous Tijuana steak houses have disappeared into the sunset of time.

Okay, so they start you off with your little, you know, chips and salsa but not, not the ones you're used to.

This baby right here, it's called a tortilla sobaquera.

Now as a full explanation on what the sobaquera is?

We're not in Sonora.

But if you ever went to Sonora, you would know there.

They have these gigantic tortillas, like they're like this big.

And sobaquera's actually a phrase referring to the armpit.

So apparently in the preparation, the tortilla is so big that when the women are, are making it, whoever makes the tortilla, they're handling it it has to kind of go through and it sounds kind of gross but it has to go through like the armpit somehow.

And that's why they call it the sobaquera.

So instead of just getting normal chips, they basically toast up a sobaquera, flour tortilla.

So that you can, you know, cutaway some pieces and these become your chips for their, their beans which is also very Sonora style beans.

These beans are fried with milk and with cheese.

It's a very Sonora style set of refried beans.

Even the color, you can see the color.

There's more orange color in them.

Hmmm.

We're not done.

That's just the beginning.

So we're getting started.

We're starting good.

So- (laughing) - So I give you like a little bit, if you want to- - Just a little bit, just a little bit, just a little bit.

(laughs) - Chiltepin- Thank you, my friend.

Thank you.

Chiltepin peppers, they're spherical.

The first time I went to Sonora, that's where I discovered that chiltepin peppers.

I'll put a graphic, a photograph of what they look like.

These things, you know, they pack a wallop.

So they're small, but not, not small in spiciness.

So that's why I'm like, "I remember the chiltepin, I respect the chiltepin."

So I guess they start you off with this with this milk cheese soup.

And then they poured this broth, this more traditional kind of soup.

And you have these potatoes and these strands of pepper.

This right here is very reminiscent of a type of soup that I used to have growing up.

And I'm going to tell you right now if it's, if it's anything like that, hold on.

It is.

It is.

(laughs) So if you ever come to Palominos and you have the cheese soup, know that this is a soup your friendly neighborhood travel show host used to have growing up.

This tastes like a home meal.

This was, this was my particular, you know, cuisine growing up.

This was a soup that my mom would make frequently.

I recommend this very much.

Okay, so just take a look of what's going on at this table, right?

So this is a pretty big deal.

Okay, so you got your, your frijoles maneados which is your Sonora style beans which are stirred and fried with cheese and milk, very rich flavorful set of refried beans.

So you got your salad over here.

Your salad plate with your typical veggies but they have this cilantro dressing which looks pretty rad.

Look at that.

It looks pretty good, right?

So we're going to try that too.

There's parian over here, this skillet.

Let me tell you what it has.

So you've got your fillet right here.

You've got your tripa, your tripe and then you have your rib and just look at that.

Oh my goodness.

I mean, just so- You guys know how much I like crispy charred meat, you know, and not too much but like when it's just like this.

Look at how juicy it is in spite of being charcoaly.

If that's not a mouthwatering, I don't know what is.

The immigrants that began this restaurant, the patriarch, when he created this concept, this is the main dish that he envisioned for his patrons.

So it's the Palominos package.

And it's something that you can, you can order here.

So we're gonna- We're trying this- We're gonna go straight into it.

We're gonna try some of this rib right here.

Oh, man.

Let's, let's look at that.

Oh, look at that.

Look at just how- You are definitely getting your money's worth.

I mean look at that.

It looks really good.

Oh my goodness.

(laughs) Okay, you've got your piece of tripa right here.

Wow.

Super rich.

Let's try some fillet now.

Some fillet.

And I'm going to do what every Sonoran household would expect you to do when you're eating their traditional food of Sonora.

You have your sobaquera, your toasted sobaquera.

But you have your normal one.

In any household in Sonora and most households in Sonora, this is the type of tortilla you'll get.

It's a flour tortilla, but look at how big it is.

(laughs) And it's not- It's actually bigger.

I didn't finish unfolding it.

Check this out.

You are expected to cut a piece.

Now the only thing about sobaquera because they're so big, they're so large, the surface, it'll get cold really quick.

So you kinda, you kinda, you should put it back.

I unfolded it so you could see it but you normally wouldn't do that because it gets cold fast.

I'm going to grab some of my maneados frijoles again.

I'm going to add them to this.

And this right here, like this, this is what, this is a pretty good representation of the Sonoran diet.

And it's good because a lot of protein and people from Sonora are pretty tall.

I don't know what the ascendancy is of people from Sonara but they tend to be, along with people from Chihuahua, they tend to be taller than average people in Mexico and people from the Northern States, the Northern tribe, the Northsmen of Mexico.

So this is your typical cowboy cattle, Sonoran diet.

Hmmm.

You shouldn't be afraid of fat.

Rejoice when you have fat in front of you like this, it's very good for you.

It's other things that kill you.

It's all that corn syrup.

It's other things are killing you.

Not the fat.

Just so you know, don't listen to them.

Oh, look at that.

Look at that.

Just look at that.

I'm enjoying my day.

Stay with us folks.

Don't go anywhere.

There's more Crossing South coming your way.

I gonna keep enjoying this.

Okay?

So now they're bringing their superstar, their secret weapon, their Black Onyx.

So apparently Black Onyx is a very special cow, very special pure breed in Australia.

And look at that thing right there.

The Black Onyx, in case you didn't know what it was, it comes with a little flag, true Aussie beef.

So apparently when you breed two different Angus steer, you have to go through a lineage documentation sufficiently back where you can verify that these two black Angus steers can produce together in Onyx beef steer.

So that's where we're trying right now.

This, which is like a pound of black Onyx meat will set you back about $45.

I'd say that's pretty good.

You know, I've been in places where something like this will set you back, you know, a couple of hundred bucks.

So $45.

That's Baja.

That's the beauty of Mexico.

You know, I'm learning this along with you.

Don't think I knew, I knew this.

I'm no, I'm an no beef snob, but I'm learning tonight.

So the marbling is apparently a level three and it adds amazing flavor to this.

So let's stop talking about it and let's actually, let's actually be about it.

So let's see what this marbling does.

And how good is it?

So you've got your fatty goodness.

Again, fat is good.

In fact, you can do a meme.

Fat is good.

We love how the fat shines, shines, and shines.

(calm music) Oh my goodness.

Oh wow.

Oh wow.

The flavor, man.

Wow.

If you're the kind of person that cuts the fat out of a meat, of a steak like this and leaves it out, you are missing out.

It just adds flavor to the meat.

It actually makes it taste better.

Wow.

Look at how it just, how the juice just squeezes out.

It just drips.

When you bite into that a little fat, into that layer of fat, it's just like a surprise.

It's like a Fabergé egg exploding, a Fabergé egg of flavor.

Yeah, this is for one person.

So this is, this is a Jorge-sized meal right here.

I just don't know honestly even like, you know, fully hungry, if I could eat the steak with two baked potatoes.

I dunno if I could pull that off I could try but I don't know if I could pull it off, so.

So good!

So as you're chewing it, when you're, you know masticating this, when you're getting it done, if you just take like a deep breath, you know the aromas just come up and it's part of the enjoyment, you know.

Our senses or, or everything is used.

You know, when you, when you try a steak like this, you know, your eyesight, your smell, your sensorial, you know, just parameters to start going start going crazy and just overloading.

So taste is not the only thing you're eating this with.

So when you're- If you have this, just sit down, enjoy it, smell it, breathe it, and enjoy the whole experience.

You can probably get a good steak back home but the experience of traveling to Baja, good Sonora steer beef, Australian black Onyx beef, and just being in Baja and being at a place like Palominos representing a state in Mexico, it's an experience in itself.

So I recommend it thoroughly, and I'm going to continue enjoying it.

They told me to make space for dessert.

This meal was amazing already, but who am I to question their protocols?

Okay, this dessert, it has brandy-spiked caramel.

Yeah.

I'm all in.

Wooo!

Flambéed crepe ala mode.

Oh dear.

You have got to be kidding me.

I'm so glad I made the room.

Behold!

Gaze!

Marvel!

(laughs) Look at this.

Look at the steam.

Look at the ice cream, just colliding the freeziness of the ice cream, colliding with the molten caramel.

Wow.

Whoa.

Scrumptious!

Scrumptious!

One of the traditional pastries, it's a pastry but it's a very simple, layman pastry in Sonora.

It's called the coyota.

And it's, it's a round pastry, basically almost like a, like a thicker flour tortilla kind of thing.

So it's flour and in the middle, they put a layer of piloncillo which is a very traditional Mexican sweetener.

That's the piloncillo and this is the coyota.

Now, here they serve- They're serving it cut up in triangles.

But normally it's a full circle, it's like a flat bread.

So let's try it.

Hmmm, I love it.

Always loved coyotas.

(laughs) Whenever I've gone to Sonora, I brought coyotas over, packages full of coyotas.

As if the visit couldn't get any better, they asked me to try a couple of their mixed drinks being that they have very talented mixologist.

The more I saw this guy prepare his concoctions, the more intrigued I was.

Turns out all those fancy processes were not just for show.

99% of the time, I personally will not order spirits.

Okay, so this is a grapefruit, grapefruit gin, and he smoked it with rosemary.

So weird.

So let's try it.

This was amazing.

Oh wow, that's really good my friend.

That is really good.

Wow.

Don't say I never recommended you a good drink at Palominos.

So the grapefruit gin smoked with rosemary.

Pretty good.

It's a pretty good drink.

But he wasn't done yet.

He had another invention to share.

Wow.

Oh man.

I've never tasted anything like this before.

It is so good.

Wow.

So after enjoying the delicacies of high quality Palomino steaks and the colloquial delights of Las Ahumaderas, we leave wondering what awaits us the next time we get to cross South.

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