Forget Everything You Think You Know About Mole
It usually doesn’t have chocolate, and it doesn’t require 36 ingredients. Texas chefs are putting their own local, seasonal spin on the classic dish.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly's taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. He is the author of American Tacos: A History & Guide. José has written for Eater, Imbibe, Dallas Observer, D Magazine, Vice, Cowboys & Indians magazine, Gravy, and other national and regional online and print media outlets. José is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and serves on the advisory board of Foodways Texas.
Articles by José R. Ralat
All Hail the Taqueros Who Fed Texans During the Blackouts
Plus: Aaron Franklin's steak taco recipe, Wichita's booming taco scene, and a strange new addition to Taco Bell's menu.
How to Order From a Taco Truck
Taco trucks mobilized to feed hungry Texans during the storm, and now they could use your support. Here are nine tips for first-timers.
A Corgi Named Taco Is Here to Brighten Your Day
Plus: heart-shaped taco boxes for Valentine’s Day, breakfast tacos with grits, and a new Topo Chico flavor.
How Texas Chefs Are Blending Cuisines in Ways That Are Respectful–and Delicious
Thanks to thoughtful experimentation and carefully crafted hybrid dishes, cultural appreciation has become the hallmark of contemporary Texas food.
Pupusas Are the Star at This North Texas Restaurant
El Salvador’s national dish shines at Santos Tacos in Crowley (make sure to try the tacos, too).
This Dallas Pop-up Is Making Some of the Best Tamales in Texas
John Hernandez's Casa Masa carries on the traditions he learned in his grandmother’s kitchen.
Filipino Tacos Are Here, and They’re Superb
The Asian nation's food is on the rise in Texas. A recent pop-up collaboration shows how Tex-Mex is giving it a helping hand.
Tortas Ahogadas Are a State Treasure
Food & Wine says so, and we agree. Plus: openings and closings around Texas.
The Taco Window Is the Future
Walk-up sales have helped keep restaurants afloat in the pandemic—and they're likely to long outlast it.
Birria Ramen Has Come to Fort Worth, and It Is Glorious
You might have to wait an hour to try this hearty, comforting broth, but it's worth it.
Taco News Roundup: Feast on Barbacoa in San Antonio and North Texas
Plus: the Houston Heights gets a new taco stand and Midland gets a Baja-style eatery.
Salsa Macha Is Setting Texas on Fire
The unusual salsa has become the state’s must-have Mexican condiment.
Taco News Roundup: Flaco Jiménez Launches a Food Truck Named, of Course, Tacos Jimenez
Plus, Texas tacos hit best of 2020 lists, Houston gets two new taco joints, and Gal Gadot tries Taco Bell.
Tacos de Canasta Are Still Hard to Find in Texas. A New Irving Restaurant Does Them Right.
Steamed for up to an hour in woven baskets, these tacos are a Mexico City favorite.
Taco News Roundup: New Churro Shops Come to Austin and San Antonio
Plus: mapping Houston's best tamales and resurrecting old favorites from Taco Bell.
My Favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican Bites of 2020
From the classic (Matamoros-style tacos) to the adventurous (birria wontons, anyone?), these are the best dishes I sampled this year.
Gas Station Tacos Aren’t What You Think
We set the record straight and offer several favorite options to fill your belly while fueling up your tank.
The Best Fast-food Tacos in Texas
We tried dozens of them and compiled this definitive ranking.
Tex-Mexplainer: Five Essential Mexican Cooking Tools for Any Kitchen
Don’t know a comal from a molcajete? We break it down (and share an easy recipe for discada, a northern Mexican grilled meat dish).
Taco News Roundup: ’Tis the Season for Tamales
Plus: the only thing better than an ugly Christmas sweater is a taco-themed ugly Christmas sweater.
The Ultimate Texas Tacopedia
Your guide to the many types of tacos around the state, where to find them, and how to enjoy them!
The Austin Taco Trail
Specialized taquerias and modernist Mexican restaurants offer more choices than ever before.
The San Antonio Taco Trail
This Tex-Mex wonderland of a city has some of the best taquerias in the state.
The El Paso Taco Trail
A roundup of the city's best offerings, from beefy burritos to modernist cuisine.
The Houston Taco Trail
There's a taste of everything in this city, from upscale Mexican cuisine to trucks specializing in globally inspired delights.
The Rio Grande Valley Taco Trail
Where to find the region's specialties, from mammoth breakfast tacos to old-school barbacoa.
The Dallas–Fort Worth Taco Trail
These taquerias, trucks, and restaurants show why this region is one of the best in the state for tacos.
Taqueria Spotlight: Maskaras Mexican Grill
The Dallas restaurant is a shrine to the owner’s love of lucha libre and his native Guadalajara.
Taqueria Spotlight: Elemi
This gem of a restaurant in El Paso keeps tortilla traditions alive.
Taqueria Spotlight: The Jerk Shack
Nicole Blaque stands out in San Antonio with her one-of-a-kind Jamaican tacos.
Taqueria Spotlight: Revolver Taco Lounge
Dallas's Regino “Gino” Rojas stands out in Texas for his wildly creative food and his willingness to take risks (who says you can’t open a new restaurant concept during a pandemic?).
Taqueria Spotlight: Carnitas Lonja
San Antonio's Alejandro Paredes helped changed the scene by focusing on one kind of taco.
On the Taco Trail: Cuantos Tacos
The Austin trailer is one of the few Texas trucks that sell legitimate Mexico City–style street tacos.
I’m Not Ashamed of My Stutter
Stuttering is finally in the spotlight, thanks to Joe Biden’s campaign and the announcement of a groundbreaking new University of Texas research center. But it’s always been part of my life.
Taco News Roundup: Dallas’s Taco Scene Is Booming
Plus, we raise our eyebrows at Ina Garten's enchilada recipe.
The Fajita Burger at Ninfa’s Is One of the Best in Texas—and It Came to a Chef in a Dream
Chef Alex Padilla skipped lunch one day, then nodded off. The result is an enormous, one-of-a-kind Tex-Mex burger.
Are Japanese Tacos the Next Big Thing in Texas?
Two new Dallas concepts expertly combine Asian and Mexican flavors and methods, and a new concept from the chefs at Mixtli, in San Antonio, will soon do the same.
Taco News Roundup: Pumpkin Spice Margaritas May Be the Scariest Thing This Halloween
Taco Cabana has gone too far.
Tex-Mexplainer: Pan de Muerto Is a Cross-cultural Taste of History
Ancient, colonial, and contemporary traditions are woven together in Dia de Los Muertos—and baked into the holiday's signature bread.
Gather Your Friends and Try a Two-Foot-Long Machete Quesadilla at These Four Austin Trailers
The Mexico City dish remains rare in Texas, but it's starting to take off in Austin.
Taco News Roundup: San Antonio Celebrates Its First Taco Week
Plus: an absurd device that promises to make eating a burrito easier, and Taco Bell's jalapeño pinot noir.
How to Get Your Taco Fix Safely During the Pandemic
Nine tips for sampling the state's taco scene without jeopardizing your health or anyone else’s.
Taco News Roundup: Get Your Texas Taco Merch, From Stickers to a Bun B T-Shirt
Plus: a cheesy dish that's half pizza, half quesadilla.
This Fort Worth Dessert Shop Has Perfected the Paleta
Alma’s Paleteria stands out for its emphasis on fresh, natural ingredients.
Tex-Mexplainer: The History Behind Mexico’s Most Patriotic Meal, Chile en Nogada
Plus, our recipe for the celebratory dish.
Taco News Roundup: The World May Be Burning, but at Least Taco Cabana Has Six New Margarita Flavors
Plus: a new Mexican sushi option in San Antonio, Lubbock's best breakfast tacos, and tacos versus pumpkin spice.
The Dirty Reason Why a San Antonio Tortilla Company Has “Sanitary” in its Name
For decades, many Texans accepted racist stereotypes that Mexican food was unsafe. Businesses had to emphasize their cleanliness to survive.
Tex-Mexplainer: Nixtamalization Is the 3,500-Year-Old Secret to Great Tortillas
More and more Texas chefs are reconnecting with their roots by making artisan tortillas from scratch.