“Aaaaahhhhh!!!!” Silvia Hernandez ahhhed when she saw my phone open to the blurb on about her Taqueria Gael out in the middle of nowhere in Andrews, Texas, just downhill, downwind, and downgradient (hydrogeologically speaking) of the radioactive waste dumps along the border with New Mexico. Although I wished she had a sampler plate of the three stews the Texas Monthly taco editor, José Ralat, recommended, I went with the top one, the asado verde.
One irritating thing about José’s list of the top 50 tacos in the state is that many of his recommendations are not, in fact, tacos, and this dish is a case in point. I get it (maybe). José is the taco editor, not the Mexican food editor, and he wants to use his chile pulpit to point folks to places deserving attention. But still. I feel a bit cheated, as I’m sure do the many taquerias that actually serve tacos and deserve mention. But did I enjoy Taqueria Gael? Why yes, I did (and I hope José gets to make his list of top TexMex and Mexican places at some point in the future).
First up were the chicharrones and salsa. I could tell right away that Silvia excels at salsas. This salsa tasted unmistakably housemade with hands working each ingredient. Chicharrones instead of chips is uncommon but paired brilliantly with her savory salsa. An unexpected (and free) treat.
The asado verde arrived with lardy refried beans, rice, two homemade corn tortillas, and a grill-warmed flour tortilla. And it was all delicious, flushed down with a Mexican Coke. As I savored the asado verde, I kicked myself for not trying to talk Silvia (who only speaks Spanish) into a “Texas Monthly” plate with proportional scoops of the asado verde (chicken), green picadillo (beef), and asado rojo (pork). I’m still kicking myself because when’s the next time I’ll be in Andrews? My visit was an absolute fluke — Midland had no rental cars, so I ended up driving from a conference in Amarillo to a conference in Alpine.
I don’t know when I’ll be back in Andrews. But if a rental-car shortage, a scheduling mishap, or a hydrogeological misfortune sends me that way again, I won’t hesitate. I’ll insist on a sampler. And I won’t complain if José calls it a taco.
taqueriagaeltx.com; 500 South Main Street, Andrews, TX 79714; (432) 302-8085
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