Rockin' the Machaca at Paloma

OK, I'll admit it. Sometimes The Burrito Blotter plays favorites. Having already had some wonderful burritos at other local taco shops, I'd returned there for a second– and in some cases a third – time before going somewhere else.

In my work in covering Spring Valley, I'd passed Paloma Taco Shop a few times. Nestled into a strip mall on the east side of Highway 125, on Sweetwater Road, it's often easy to overlook. But all is fair in love and burritos, and so I had to pop in and give it a shot. Scanning the menu, I decided to go with one that is not as popular, but is also a Mexican staple – the machaca.

Here's the rundown, ingredient by ingredient:

Tortilla
About average. It was soft and chewy, always a good trait in a tortilla, but it didn't strike me as being homemade. Perhaps it was, but the natural flour flavor and residual dust didn't shine through. The tortilla held everything together nicely, and was thick enough to handle a certain aspect of the burrito which I'll tell you about later.

Machaca
Machaca is not necessarily a "breakfast burrito" per se, but is traditionally served mixed with eggs, much like a chorizo. Machaca is beef that is cooked low and slow until it is fork-tender, then pulled apart and shredded. The machaca in this burrito was very juicy. You could tell that a lot of time had been put into making it. But it lacked a little bit of seasoning. It wasn't bland by any means, and you could still taste a lot of the natural beef flavor, but it didn't really sing.

Eggs
The eggs were light and fluffy. When cooking eggs mixed in with a meat, it's hard to really do something wrong to them. It's possible, but unlikely. These were cooked to perfection, and they added a smooth, almost creamy textural element to the meat and veggies.

Peppers & Onions
Definitely the winner of "best supporting ingredient," for this one. The peppers and onions were cut into long strips instead of chunks, which is an interesting touch. They were lightly sauteed (most likely in olive oil) and had a nice seasoning. They were not overcooked and still maintained a little bit of crunch.

Overall
The burrito itself was pretty lightweight and not overstuffed with too much filling. It was also pretty substantial though, and I felt very satisfied afterward. I mentioned the juiciness of the machaca earlier, and the last few bites of the burrito were by far the best, as the residual juice of the meat slowly seeped down into the nether regions, producing a flavor crescendo. This fact left a good taste in my mouth, literally, and made me appreciate the aforementioned thickness of the tortilla. A lesser one might not have been able to handle it. A great way to "wrap it up."

Rating: 4.0 (out of 5)