taco stories
Masa y Más is a taqueria centered on familial recipes of Central Mexico. We serve freshly made tortillas, tacos y más, in their traditional styles, from a variety of cultural regions throughout Mexico. Keep reading to learn more about the rich history of these dishes and how they came to be - first in Mexico, then at Masa y Más!
Al Pastor
Tacos al pastor is the fan favorite at Masa y Más and our signature taco. These bright-red pork tacos, one of Mexico’s most famous foods, are a secret family recipe that took over 40 years to develop!.
Our juicy, succulent tacos al pastor get their tropical flavor from a 24-hour marinade consisting of vinegar and pineapple juice, and the iconic red color comes from the achiote rub, which has a top-secret blend of herbs and spices.
Tacos al pastor are traditionally cooked al trompo, on a vertical rotisserie, much like the shawarma meat you see stacked high in gyro spots. Roasting the pork vertically allows fat to drip down the stack as the meat cooks, creating a perfectly crisp crust that locks all the juicy goodness inside.
How to tell if your taqueria is selling real-deal tacos al pastor? Look for the trompo!
Birria
Our best-seller: Birria! This family recipe traveled all the way from Guanajuato, and is now used to make anywhere from 40-80 lbs of birria a day.
Birria tacos are traditionally made with shredded meat (we use chuck roast and brisket) and served with the braising liquid, called consommé, on the side - like au jus with a French dip sandwich!
Once ordered, each tortilla gets dipped into the consommé and sprinkled with a layer of Chihuahua costra (aka Mexican mozzarella). The tortilla goes cheese side-down onto the plancha, creating a golden, crispy, gooey crust that keeps the tortilla from getting soggy. The shredded beef goes straight onto the cheese, topped with cilantro and onion, and served with a side of consommé. Don’t forget to dip!
Barbacoa
Our barbacoa, like all of our preparations, is made the traditional way. We live by the rule: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” And the traditional preparation of barbacoa (like barbeque) came to Mexico from the island of Barbados. The Taino people marinated meats in tropical herbs and spices for preservation and for flavor before wrapping it in banana leaf and cooking it directly in the firepit.
The banana leaves lock in all the flavor and moisture, steaming and braising the meat in its own juices. We use beef cheek for an ultra-tender result, perfect for shredding into tacos. The beef is smoked for an hour before it gets the banana leaf-sauna treatment in the oven, creating a final product that’s lightly smoky and full of flavor.
Carnitas
Carnitas are a Michoacan staple, with roots dating all the way back to the arrival of conquistadors in the 1500s! For generations, Mexican families have been frying pork in its own lard, traditionally in a copper pot, to create golden-brown crispy chunks of meat with a tender, juicy interior.
Today, you’ll see all kinds of new takes on the OG recipe - from orange juice to coca-cola or beer in the frying liquid. At Masa y Mas, we’re purists. We use only manteca madre, oranges, and aromatics to fry up a fresh batch of carnitas every day.
Enjoy these crisp, juicy tacos on a fresh, handmade flour or corn tortilla with cilantro and onion. And don’t skip the salsa! We recommend the salsa verde for the perfect pairing.
Carne guisada
Just like every family in Texas has their own Chili recipe, every Mexican family’s version of Carne Guisada is a bit different, too. The dish consists fork-tender beef, long-simmered in a rich gravy of aromatics and spices.
At Masa y Mas, Carne Guisada is a labor of love, made fresh each morning and slow-cooked for hours until it’s fall-apart tender and ready for service. A combination of beef chuck roast and brisket are stewed in a rich, tomato-based gravy with onions, garlic, carrot, and a hefty blend of spices: paprika, chipotle, chili powder, and cumin, to name a few.
We recommend enjoying your carne guisada on a homemade flour tortilla, topped simply with cilantro and onion. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness in every bite!
Pollo adobado
How do you get the perfect chicken taco? We unlocked the secret formula: start with juicy chicken thighs, add a smoky, citrusy adobo marinade for maximum flavor, and cook the thighs directly on the plancha to lock in all the moisture. (No dry chicken here!)
Our Pollo Adobado taco isn’t just any chicken taco. It’s juicy, flavorful, and served piled high with cabbage, pickled onion, radish, cilantro, and queso fresco. Want to kick it up a notch? Try it with the habanero salsa!
Camarones
The ultimate shrimp taco recipe comes from the beautiful beaches of Baja California, where shrimp are battered tempura-style, fried fresh to order, and topped with light, flavorful toppings.
Our batter is gluten-free, made only with cornstarch, water, and club soda. The club soda keeps the coating super-light and crispy, so it doesn’t overtake the delicate shrimp. We keep the toppings just as fresh: crunchy cabbage, a tropical pineapple pico de gallo, creamy avocado, and a tangy, smoky chipotle mayo. Enjoy on your choice of Handmade Flour, Blue Corn, or White Corn Tortilla.
Sonoran hot dog
Take the All-American Hot Dog to the next level with the Sonoran Hot Dog! Created to satisfy the hungry college students at the University of Sonora, this American-Mexican fusion is an over-the-top flavor explosion.
We start with a ¼ lb all-beef hot dog, wrap it in bacon, and grill it ‘til crispy. A soft, pillowy potato bun gets butterflied, toasted, and slathered in refried black beans. The bacon-wrapped dog goes inside and is piled high with caramelized onion, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, and jalapeno crema.
Sweet, spicy, smoky, and indulgent, this is one hot dog you won’t forget!
