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| Chorizo tacos at Austin's Arandas #3. Photo: Jessica S. Ralat |
6. Austin's Arandinas (suggested by Slashfoodies Lacey and LP) pork taco vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros cabeza taco:
Arandinas' juicy, eminently scarfable pork taco went head-to-head with Matamoros', uh, cow head -- and triumphed.
Winner: Arandinas, Austin.
5. Austin's Mi Madre's Restaurant (suggested by Jodi and others) Pork Adobado vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros Enchilada taco:
Anticipating a chili steam engine from this red-sauced breakfast taco, we instead found spiceless goop in a flour shell ill-matched to its flurry of onions and avocado slices. The slightly spicy red enchilada taco at Matamoros is still the one we hold dear.
Winner: Matamoros, Brooklyn
Four more, including the winner, after the jump.
4. Austin's Maria's Taco Xpress carne guisada vs. Brooklyn's Matamoros' lengua:
One Austinite noted of Maria's, "It's not just the same since the move." Perhaps this is true; the dry steak left this writer's stomach unsettled, and was the antithesis to the soft lengua (it's tongue, but its texture is velvety) taco at Matamoros.
Winner: Matamoros, Brooklyn
3. Austin: Barbacoa at La Tapatia vs. Brooklyn's Nameless Taco Shack's barbacoa:
The warm stewed threads of beef barbacoa (usually cheek meat) with a spritz of lime were a welcome surprise, rivaling Brooklyn's stewed goat tacos. This one was close, but Brooklyn's offering was brightened by both cilantro and lime.
Winner: Nameless Taco Shack, Brooklyn
2. Austin: Fideo and Bean at Porfirio's Tacos vs. Squash Blossom tacos at Brooklyn's Gan Eden Café:
"Fideo," which means "noodles," here took the form of rice vermicelli paired with refried beans and a basic pico de gallo. Squash blossoms at Brooklyn's Gan Eden are likewise unusual, fried until clumped together. While both tacos are admittedly a bit odd, Porfirio's Tacos' crimson salsa had, to us, a hint of Chef Boyardee.
Winner: Gan Eden Café, Brooklyn
1. Austin: Chorizo at Aranadas #3 (recommended by URwhatUEat and Christina) vs. chorizo at Brooklyn's Matamoros:
Thank goodness for these Slashfoodie suggestions. Arandas #3 delivered precisely the flavor we've been searching for! The chorizo was salty, juicy, and piquant, and sprinkled with Sunset Park's ubiquitous onions and cilantro. This taco lover downed multiples.
Winner: Arandas #3, Austin, in a heartbeat.
Any more we missed? School us in the comments.
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