Random Thoughts & Questions

Borrego = sheep / lamb / mutton.

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Okay, totally not the same thing, but that sounds so much like the abgoosht at Attari Sandwich shop in Westwood… :wink:


(not my photo; from abgoosht – discovering LA)

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Barbacoa traditionally is steamed in a pit, which is similar to braising, though contemporary versions may be smoked like barbecue or braised in pots on the stove. Abgoosht is braised, so similar to some barbacoa, and the service with flatbreads and sides is definitely similar.

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In fact, as Mr. Adams points out, the chemical formula for sodium citrate even spells out ‘nacho’: Na₃C₆H₅O₇.

Gish Bac may be worth a try.

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i feel like there must be at least 20 or 30 weekend popup family operations selling barbacoa in south LA or east LA, some of which are highlighted by Bill in that list.
i’ve only had barbacoa a couple of times in Mexico, but based on that very limited sampling, i would say what you can get at Barbacoa Estilo Taxco Guerrero or Barbacoa Estilo Atotonilco El Grande are entirely comparable in quality, and i would put the consommes from either place up against the best soups and consommes from anywhere and any price range in the entire city
a lot of these weekend operations are also really putting in the work to make it - the family running Atotonilco raises their own lambs!

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Thanks everyone! I’m obviously not looking hard enough for barbacoa in LA.

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City of Commerce.

L.A. area has a City of Commerce and a City of Industry

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Oops. Thanks!

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I called them earlier to verify that they’re open today but the guy who picked up said they had to close down due to the pandemic. :cry:

I called them earlier to verify that they’re open today but the guy who picked up said they had to close down due to the pandemic.

they’re still open but only on weekends between i think 9-sellout (~12 or 1) at their original location (5607 mckinley ave, in the parking lot). it was only for a short while they had a brick-and-mortar with barbacoa every day. Atotonilco is also weekend only, 8-sellout, i think aqui es texcoco might be the only barbacoa-focused brick-and-mortar selling it daily (but other options would be gish bac or maestro in pasadena).

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Aah, ok. Thanks for the info!

I have a personal bias against this place but lots of folks I know like the Barbacoa de Borrego at My Taco in Highland Park. Maybe not on the level of the real pit-dug good shit, but in the category of reliably solid brick-and-mortar it might scratch the itch.

Huarache Azteca does it on weekends, but haven’t had it myself.

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another weekday option is La Barbacha on cesar chavez

another weekend option is this guy who built a custom concrete oven in his backyard: Meet The Taquero Who Built a Morelos Style Barbacoa Oven in His Compton Backyard - L.A. TACO

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Another lamb question…

Where should I go for lamb pies since Beijing Pie House is no more? I also miss BPH’s wonderful lamb noodle soup.

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ZUI XIANG YUAN has good pies
https://zuixiangyuanca.com/menu/

Did both locations of BPH close?

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Indeed the Alhambra is listed as closed.

The Monterey Park location the new owners still have xian bings on the menu. Has anyone tried them?

There are plenty of places to get lamb noodle soup. That can be found at pretty much any Shaanxi or Shanxi-style place.

I’d be interested in the current state of xian bing in the SGV. There used to be a few other places in addition to BPH that had meat pies, but most (all?) of them seem to have shuttered.

Unfortunately, no one seems to have anything like the wild veggie or radish pie that BPH had.

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