Best Carniceria Salsa in LA... anyone?

Just made the trek to Sarita's Carniceria at 2401 Anaheim in Long Beach... and back to Silverlake! The salsa roja at this place is AMAZING. The perfect blend of tomato, citrus, roasted pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro and who knows what else. However, I am looking for someplace closer to home who does the same amazing thing with these ingredients. All for a buck-fifty. Yum. Any recs, chowamigos?

At Los Toros the chips are the best I have ever had in any town. Once you eat these chips you will realize how importent chips are. These are great even without salsa. The salsa at Los Toros is great and I do not recall having any better in LA (New Mexico is the capital of salsa for me). You can buy both the chips and salsa (med. or Hot) over the counter in the meet market section of the building. You can enjoy them in the resturant also.

Los Toros Meat Market
[phone]
5225 Peck Rd
El Monte, CA 91732

[calabasas_trafalgar]

how is the chicken and/or carne asada there? This place is just down the street.

[JeetJet]

This is an old thread (I was "Like-Go-Eat?") but below is my recent post about Asada, chips, salsa...

I do like the boneless marinaded chicken at Los Toros, which is ready to grill, but there is another place I go to for the asada --El Caney Market. I know you will like the asada from El Caney Market, which IMO is worth a 45 min. drive across the county. Therefore, if you are near Los Toros you might do like I do and get your chips and salsa from Los Toros and then go to El Caney Market for that asada, because with asada it's all about the marinade.

Asada, chips, salsa
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/39749...

[calabasas_trafalgar]

How do you cook the boneless marinaded chicken? Do they have both red and green?

[JeetJet]

IMO the marinaded (Red) boneless chicken from Los Toros must be grilled over Hot coals along with your marinaded Asada from El Caney -- any hot coals will work. To really do it right, however, you need a Corona, Dos Equis, or Tecate in one hand while you do the grilling with the other. Also, my old friend Rod (who cooks only over red hot coals of oak bark) would put the tortillas over the fire (once the meat was done) turning them with his fingers for several seconds on each side. He could do that without getting burned ever after having several Coronas and holding the forth Corona in the orher hand. Now that is my idea of ambiance.

El Caney Market (Fresh marinaded Asada at the meat counter)
9869 Garvey Ave
El Monte, CA 91733-1269
[phone]

Los Toros Meat Market (Fresh Chips, Salsa and Guacamole at the meat counter, also marinaded boneless chicken)
5225 Peck Rd
El Monte, CA 91732-1122
[phone]

[calabasas_trafalgar]

oh, well, I don't drink(and I have a gas grill)

My favorite is from a restaurant that sells some of its offerings (tamales, soups, flautas, etc.) at the Pasadena Farmer's Market on Saturdays. I think they are called Vallartas and are in El Monte or something. I order a cup of their salsa roja and eat it by itself (with salt and lime) and yes, sweat is rolling down my face!! ;-) The best I have tasted by far! They also have a habanero and verde offering, but the red beats out every time!

Try Salsa Sanchez, at any Whole Foods Store.
Be careful: no preservatives, it spoils very easily & fast.

Good question. Here's the answer:

Head over to Tacos Por Favor in Santa Monica (Olympic & 14th) and get some of their hot red salsa to go. This is some of the best taqueria salsa I've ever sampled - rich, slightly smoky, complex, and quite hot. It's worth every penny.

Another option is Jon's or Vallarta markets in the SFV - it's certainly inexpensive & good, but doesn't hold a candle to my first recommendation.

Moose

Carniceria Don Juan on Vanowen and Coldwater has fantastic salsa roja.

[Jwsel]

I actually prefer their salsa verde, which is my favorite verde of all.