Good (taqueria-style) salsa?
I am looking for a good salsa (taqueria-style), preferably salsa roja, but a good salsa verde would do. I like it spicy. Very spicy. But most important is taste (I can always jack up the heat with habaneros). This would be for use with tacos (the authentic, street taco type). Please don't recommend any pico de gallo. I want to be able to purchase it for use at home, so please don't tell me to go to Los Ocampo (unless they will sell jars of theirs). I am visiting for a while (from CA), and haven't found any good salsa at any of the grocers/markets here (granted, I am in the south suburbs, which is limiting). Ideally it would be near Burnsville/Savage area (I looked at Olmeca, and they seemed to just have a thicker salsa).
TIA
By mdpilam
on Jun 3, 2011 02:34 PM
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I'm not sure what exactly you mean by taqueria-style salsa roja, but you might really enjoy El Burrito Mercado's Salsa Arbol. It's sold in jars for home consumption. They have a few others. Very tasty stuff. They also have a deli counter with takeaway puerco colorado and pollo verde and stuff like that. It's not too hard to get to El Burrito Mercado from south suburbs.
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El Burrito Mercado
175 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107
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I concur. It would be worth your time to go to St Paul for El Burrito Mercado. I buy from the deli, and they had 5 or 6 types of salsa last weekend. I really like their Salsa Verde. You could easily jack it up. Bought sopas, beans, salsa verde and cheese and ate it with eggs for breakfast, with my own pork for lunch and loved it. Oh, the tamales are good too! Enjoy.
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El Burrito Mercado
175 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107
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Salsas like these (on the tacos)%3
http://www.greattacohunt.com/
Thanks for the rec, it sounds promising, I'll check it out.
PS - if you are ever in LA, Leo's Tacos and Tacos Tamix has the best tacos. Ever.
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GOD THAT LOOKED SO GOOD! Like those, close. I have to say, there is something about the latitude that precludes us doing a perfect replication. Close. Somewhat satisfying in a pinch. Yes. Do check it out nonetheless.
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It may have been the lighting, but the Tacos Savannah and Taco Zone salsa container shots looked (to my eye) like the kind of red sauce that's slightly creamy. I've had (and enjoyed) that kind of salsa at Adelita's on Central Ave NE and maybe at Los Ocampos. I'm not certain, but I don't think it's available at El Burrito Mercado.
Here's a piece of unsolicited advice (worth about 1/2 what you paid for it)....If I were you, I'd focus on something besides mexican during a visit to or stay in MN. While our mexican is loads better than it was 10 years ago, alas, it is nowhere near what can apparently be had in CA. In the south suburbs, hit Satay 2 Go for satay and malay savory pastries or India Palace on County 42 for some interesting stuffed naan. Go to Alma or Vincent or Picolo or La Belle Vie for splurge dining. Go to Maverick's or Wally's for a roast beast sandwich. Try a lobster roll from Smack Shack. Try eating at Brasa or Punch. Any of these might be food experiences at least comparable to ones available in CA. But in mexican food, I'm guessing it will just make you want to go back to CA.
If you MUST eat mexican here, be prepared to pay twice as much as you would in LA for 1/2 the quality. Go to El Burrito and other businesses around it on Concord. Go to Lake Street, and try a few places. Los Ocampos for hurachas (sp?) and sopes. La Hacienda if they're running the Al Pastor gyro machine, maybe some of the others. Los Lomas if you want what are probably the best Tamales in town. Mercado Central at Bloomington and Lake has interesting stuff too. You can eat your way through all the mexican food in town in about 2 weeks.
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El Burrito Mercado
175 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107
La Belle Vie
510 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
Satay 2 Go
6670 150th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55124
La Hacienda
2467 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55116
Mercado Central
1515 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407
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Good observation and what I was thinking also. I kept looking at those fabulous carne asada tacos for a buck thinking you cannot get one of those here AT ANY price.
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Yeah, I tend to stay away from Mexican when here (family lives here), especially since they live in the south suburbs. Basically when I visit, my goal is a Jucy Lucy and cheese curds, and I'm satisfied til the next visit. I was however impressed with Los Ocampos (first visit was better than second though), and you're right, their salsa roja is a bit creamy, but I do think it is pretty good, but could use more heat.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try to hit them up before leaving.
Edit: I'm looking for salsa to use with homemade Mexican foods...
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You might try Pepito's, which does sell their stuff in containers. While their food is nothing special (except the Lupita's, which I do love), their hot salsa seems like maybe it's the kind of stuff you're looking for. I really can't speak super knowledgably though, as I've never had tacos like the ones you linked to, unfortunately.
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