Carnitas El Momo ~ East Hollywood

When Los Angeles Magazine proclaims the best carnitas in the city, state, and possibly country, those in the taco lifestyle community sit up and take note. That's what happened at the end of 2013 when Bill "StreetGourmetLA" Esparza started introducing the world to Carnitas El Momo. Their two trucks bring some of the most authentic Guanajuato-style carnitas, including buche and other cuts of hog, to Los Angeles every Saturday and Sunday morning. This Sunday, some of the L.A. Taco crew hit the location that parks on Vermont a couple blocks north of Melrose (Near LACC, four blocks south of the Vermont/Santa Monica Blvd. Metro stop) to sample the goods.

Cuerito (braised pork skin). The carnitas are made at a kitchen offsite by carnitas master Romulo Acosta, then kept warm in the truck, chopped up to order and placed in corn tortillas. The tacos contain a lot of meat, most will be satisfied with 2 or 3.

Two homemade salsas are available on the simple table in front of the taco trailer. They are also put both in  your to go package.

Two carnitas tacos with both salsas applied. These carnitas are not the crispy, almost fried, style you may be used to. El Momo's are buttery-soft chopped pieces of flavorful pork that absorb the salsas well and have a light coating of delicious fat.

One part of the Acosta family of East Los Angeles. Their two trucks are located at:

Melrose Ave and Vermont Ave., East Hollywood. Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

and

E. 61 St./S. Avalon Bl., South Park, 323-488-0642, Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.