Long ago in what is now Mexico they mashed corn with lime-infused water and so came masa which was pounded into thin cakes and fried and called TORTILLAS. The people would pound the masa with wooden clubs and dance around the fires chanting an ancient song. The anticipation of the tortillas was palpable. What would they do with the fresh tortillas? Dip them in complex sauces, of course, among other things.
Taqueria Al Pastor in Queens carries on this ancient tradition, serving the fresh tortillas with al pastor or carne asada as a taco. The tortillas are soft and honest, soft and supple. But don't you need more corn supple? If so, head to Cosme in Manhattan for a dessert of husk meringue and corn mousse. The meringue tastes ever so slightly of masa and is sweet, while inside the meringue dome lies an almost savory corn mousse, a corn supple if ever there was one, oozing out of the meringue.
Taqueria Al Pastor
Ridgewood, Queens
Cosme
Flatiron
