Fortunately (or not) the portions were served to be shared per three diners.
LECHUZA BIRRIA TACOS SERIES
The menu for dinner at Corazón de Tierra consisted of eight courses, the last of which was a series of three desserts. Here, master gardener Claire Acosta and chef Diego Hernández enjoy looking at the two baskets of native corns. Our final corn stop of the day was back at Corazón de Tierra, for the maíces nativos presentation and then dinner at the restaurant. Four or five small courses followed this appetizer, but this chileagua was my favorite. On this hot, dry winter day, we couldn't have eaten anything more refreshing. The dish is based on the almeja reina (queen clam), which is joined by pear tomatoes, red zebra tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, chile serrano, cilantro flowers, and cempasúchil (marigold) flowers. Chef Mario, a contender on the 2016 season of Top Chef Mexico, is part of the new generation of cooks who carry the banner of Baja California-style cuisine, which is best known for making use of the region's seasonal ingredients.Ĭhef Mario's chileagua, plated in a clam shell on a bed of coarse sea salt. Headed by executive chef Mario Peralta, Fuego is part of Hotel Boutique, in the heart of Baja California's wine country. Would you believe this trip was called "work"? Nah, me either! Our next stop was at Restaurante Fuego Cocina del Valle, a short distance from the Vena Cava winery. Late in the morning, we went to Vena Cava (Phil and Eileen Gregory's beautiful winery) for one of Phil's delightful wine tastings and many stories about the Gregorys' arrival in Valle de Guadalupe. Acosta tells chef Diego what the gardeners can pick today and he plans his menu around those vegetables. All of the produce from the garden is destined for the restaurant tables. Here, a long row of organic acelgas (swiss chard). Master Gardener Claire Acosta showed us around the gardens. Vena Cava and Corazón de Tierra co-owner Eileen Gregory joined us for the corn presentation given to the gardening team. Not everybody listened all the way through the corn presentations, but everybody loved the corn! This little black cat at the Corazón de Tierra gardens pooped out about halfway through a talk and made himself comfortable for a snooze. It was particularly thrilling to see Baja California's younger cooks and and restaurant staffs light up when they learned first-hand about their corn heritage. Very few farmers grow native corns, and very few people in cities such as Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada are familiar with them. Because there is little to no rainfall over much of the state, many of its successful crops (wheat, red tomatoes, and onions are the principal products, followed by strawberries and cotton) are grown using irrigation. Most of Baja California is arid, the mountains are rugged and barren, and the temperatures are extreme-the state capital, Mexicali, can have mid-summer temperatures as high as 110✯ and winter lows in the low 40ºs.
Unlike the lush central and southern areas of Mexico, Baja California grows almost no corn. Left to right: Rafael Mier, founder of the non-profit foundation Tortilla de Maíz Mexicana, Mexico Cooks!, and extraordinary chef Diego Hernández. Chef Diego closed the restaurant for two prime evening hours so that he and his staff could take part in the class we felt very honored. Rafael Mier gave a presentation about Mexico's native corns to chef Diego and the restaurant's entire kitchen crew and wait staff.
Headed up by renowned chef Diego Hernández Baquedano, Corazón de Tierra was named number 39 out of 50 on the San Pellegrino 50 Best Latin American restaurants list for 2016. I like getting the consomé without meat and using it as a dip, but you can also get it with meat as a side dish of soup.At Restaurante Corazón de Tierra, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California. What to order: the quesotaco and a side of consomé. It’s incredibly decadent as it is, but take it up a notch by dipping it in a cup of their consomé. The traditional tortilla is replaced with a shell of griddled monterey jack cheese, filled with birria meat and lots of melty cheese, and then the entire thing is served on another tortilla. The second menu option to notice is the phenomenal quesotaco. The stewed beef is crazy flavorful, and these tacos are filling and delicious…not too heavy, either! You could totally eat these and then go back to work and be a-ok.
LECHUZA BIRRIA TACOS FULL
They have a a small menu, but here are the two items to pay attention to: the birria tacos, which are corn tortillas full of birria meat, onion, and cilantro. It’s an unassuming food truck parked outside a gas station in east Austin. When you ask local Austinites “where can I eat birria in Austin,” there’s a good chance they’ll point you to La Tunita 512.
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