31898 Thu Oct 07 00:28:42 -0700 2004 11 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 140532 Stopped by this weekend to see about some barbacoa. The entrance at the corner of the parking lot leads into a surprisingly large space that looks set up to be a dancehall and restaurant at the same time. At 2 pm there were just a few tables occupied. I did not study the menu in detail, and English did not seem to be freely spoken, so I ended up with two barbacoa tacos, two suadero tacos, and a jamaica. Complimentary (?) chips were round tortilla chips from a bag, I guess, served with a medium to hot smooth tomato salsa. Tacos, at 1.50, were half again as large as most truck tacos, so in that sense weren't that expensive. Suadero was fine, chunked flank steak browned on a griddle; I think I prefer the well chopped well done version at El Gordo. Barbacoa tacos were nice; I started by eating some of the meat alone- good strong goat flavor thoroughly permeated with smoke flavor a decently salted. I have no particular experience with barbacoa, so can't say how good this was compared to others, but I liked it enough to get a pound to go ($12). That included limes, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and a creamy spicy chile sauce on the side. I couldn't tell if the sauce was mayo based or more like a ranch dressing. It was also kind of smoky. I don't know if I liked it or not. Thu Oct 07 00:28:42 -0700 2004 0 ericf 1 140535 address? Thu Oct 07 00:54:52 -0700 2004 140532 0 heidipie 2 140537 Sorry, I'm not exactly sure. International Blvd in Oakland just north of the El Gordo taco truck. I think it might be about 42 Ave, on the west side. Thu Oct 07 01:00:25 -0700 2004 140535 0 ericf 3 140538 The editors of San Francisco ChowNews published the location in issue #139 along with the recommended chow. Here 'tis. Casa Maria [Fruitvale] 4021 International Blvd Oakland 94601 Map: http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=4021+international+blvd&csz=oakland+CA Link: http://chowhound.safeshopper.com/23/cat23.htm?933 Thu Oct 07 01:17:24 -0700 2004 140537 0 Melanie Wong 1 140539 You don't know if you liked the sauce or not . . . how much cerveza did you have? (vbg) Thu Oct 07 01:20:51 -0700 2004 140532 0 Melanie Wong 2 140565 Actually, I think I know what he means. Sometimes when something is unfamiliar and/or unexpected, you experience it as "unique" or "unusual" and it takes a while to process whether it is "unique" or "unusual" in a good sense or a bad sense, especially since one's initial reaction to something not being what one expects is usually negative. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/31152#135597 Thu Oct 07 12:51:17 -0700 2004 140539 0 Ruth Lafler 3 140684 Sort of, I think the smokiness of that sauce was bordering on acrid for me. But it was interesting enough on the side to come back to more than once. I think, however, that I would have been annoyed had it been served all over my order. So, I really am conflicted about it. No cervezas necessary! Thu Oct 07 19:41:46 -0700 2004 140565 0 ericf 1 140592 I've seen suadero on menus translated as rib meat, not flank steak. Does anyone know which is right? Thu Oct 07 13:39:36 -0700 2004 140532 0 baaah 2 140595 This question comes up all the time -- I think the consensus is that it's what's shown as "plate" on this diagram, although as you can see that's adjacent to both the flank and encompasses part of the brisket, so depending on how the cow is butchered (which may be different for meat intended for use in different ethnic cuisines) it may include either of those. Image: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/bureau/mcmancv/image248.gif Thu Oct 07 13:50:36 -0700 2004 140592 0 Ruth Lafler 3 140682 Sorry, my fault, it's the same thing as matambre in Argentina... I think it's known as "the rose" or "rose meat" in the US. It reminds me of flank but thinner. Thu Oct 07 19:39:47 -0700 2004 140595 0 ericf 4 140702 The only place I've ever seen the term "rose" meat is the menu board at the El Gordo truck. Are there other examples of this usage? Thu Oct 07 21:55:06 -0700 2004 140682 0 Ruth Lafler 5 140713 Sorry, I'm not an expert. I think I probably came across it on a chart like the one linked below, when I was trying to figure out what matambre was, after having it in Buenos Aires. I'm pretty sure I found suadero=matambre on a similar chart somewhere, and I don't recall ever seeing it at the butcher's. Link: http://www.gueldner.net/BEEF%20CUTS.pdf Thu Oct 07 23:51:17 -0700 2004 140702 0 ericf