In Search of the Perfect Carne Asada: Visiting Valley Carnicerias
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT CARNE ASADA: VISITING VALLEY CARNICERIAS STORY BY MARILYN NOBLE • PHOTOS BY BRIAN GODDARD t was a warm Saturday afternoon when we pulled into the occasional pair of dancing shoes. Part bodega, part taco stand, parking lot of a strip mall near the border between they’re centers of commerce and social life, places to connect IPhoenix and Tempe. The scent of meat roasting over with the familiar flavors of home for people who now live on mesquite perfumed the air, and Mexican pop music blared the north side of the border. But they’re also convenient places from a speaker above the sidewalk where a mini flea market to shop for anyone who appreciates authentic products and sported a table full of yoyos, bracelets, keychains, toys and meat at a reasonable price. religious figurines. The place was Carniceria Los Amigos, one Inside Los Amigos, a hungry mob crowded the small take- of the many Mexican meat markets dotting the Valley. out counter, even though the lunch rush should have been Carnicerias (butcher shops) are all about meat, but they’re over. I asked one of the other customers what we should try, also a treasure trove of Mexican specialties. You can buy plenty and he said, without hesitation, “Oh, get the Number One. of Mexican cuts of beef and pork, to be sure, but most Their carne asada is the best, and it comes with rice and beans carnicerias are filled to bursting with Mexican beers, sodas, and salsa. And tortillas. You can’t beat it for 24 bucks” for a cheeses, produce, hot sauces, pan dulce and tortillas, along family-size order.
[Show full text]