LAReview
Tacos de Canasta El Abuelo is a Boyle Heights food truck that makes excellent tacos de canasta with all the fixings. These small corn tortillas are stuffed with their hearty fillings before getting bathed in hot oil to create a semi-crispy, semi-soft texture that packs a very satisfying crunch without shattering all over your styrofoam plate. Our favorites are the chicharron prensado and the papa con chorizo, which we’d happily eat for either breakfast or lunch. The chicharron is extremely soft after being slowly stewed in a spicy sauce, and the potatoes act as a great starch vehicle for all the ground sausage’s smoky flavors. These small taquitos are plated with red and green salsa on top, crema, and crumbly queso cotija, along with pickled jalapeños, carrots, and cabbage for a bite of freshness. The tacos are soft enough to slice through with a plastic fork, but using your hands will help get these excellent tacos into your mouth much faster.
Food Rundown
Chicharron Prensado Taco
The chopped chicharron filling is a tasty mash of fatty bits and shredded dried pork that gets rehydrated in a bright and spicy salsa. The tortillas are also simultaneously crispy and tender after being flash-fried and steamed before serving, and the crema and crumbled cheese on top help cool down and balance everything out perfectly.
Papa Con Chorizo Taco
Think porky, spicy, and smoky mashed potatoes and that’s exactly what these crispy tacos taste like. They only need a spoonful of salsa and some green cabbage or red onion to round out everything else going on here.