Cielito Lindo taquitos

A friend who lives in Ca claims these are the best Taquitos he's ever eaten. From their website they do look tasty. Has anyone on the forum tried them.

http://www.cielitolindo.org/

There is no question. THEY ARE THE BEST!

I've been eating them for over 50 years.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

There is no question. THEY ARE THE BEST!

I've been eating them for over 50 years.

Over 50 yrs ! I guess that would qualify you as a expert. By any chance do you know a copy kat version of the recipe?

Well I'm no expert but I sure do love theirs.

Their guacamole isn't. It's a tomatillo sauce. Even though I hate cilantro, I don't mind the hint of it in their sauce.

I think they fry them in lard, but I'm not certain. They have two large wok-ish pans going over high flames. The put them in a layer in the pan and then after browning they move them to the second pan.

Inside is shredded beef.

It's worth a trip downtown for them, but I HATE paying more to park than I do for my meal!

I am very happy to have found this forum. I am 26 years old, and have lived in CT for my whole life. I've visted Southern California close to 20 times to visit family. Every time my family travels there we make at least 2 or 3 trips in the 10 days we're there to Celito Lindo. The taquitos are fantistic.

Three people in my family have eaten 26 of them in one sitting. Unfortunately I've only gotten to 18.

They will sell them uncooked, with sauce in styrofoam cups. We always buy a few dozen to bring back east on the first trip to Olvera St, that way they will be frozen before the end of vacation. My suggestion is to group and wrap the taquitos in double layered tin foil by meal size. I would count 6 or 8 for a hungry adult male. Or 4 for someone who will eat less, a child or woman. If you have the time, par freeze them in a single layer first, so that they don't stick together when grouped.

As far as the sauce goes, they will always give you enough, even if it doesn't seem that way. If you make four seperate packages, divide the sauce into four plastic containers and freeze as well.

Allow the taquitos and sauce to defrost completely before cooking. Fry the taquitos till just before brown at 350 degrees, until just before browned. Oil should come about half way up the side and taquitos should be flipped once. Microwaving the sauce will not hurt it, however cooking on the stovetop is prefered. My suggestion is to use a bread pan to serve the sauce, this way the entire taquito can be rolled in the sauce instead of dipped.

And always, always, drink the remaining sauce at the end.

quote:

Originally posted by braunsteinm

I am very happy to have found this forum. I am 26 years old, and have lived in CT for my whole life. I've visted Southern California close to 20 times to visit family. Every time my family travels there we make at least 2 or 3 trips in the 10 days we're there to Celito Lindo. The taquitos are fantistic.

Three people in my family have eaten 26 of them in one sitting. Unfortunately I've only gotten to 18.

They will sell them uncooked, with sauce in styrofoam cups. We always buy a few dozen to bring back east on the first trip to Olvera St, that way they will be frozen before the end of vacation. My suggestion is to group and wrap the taquitos in double layered tin foil by meal size. I would count 6 or 8 for a hungry adult male. Or 4 for someone who will eat less, a child or woman. If you have the time, par freeze them in a single layer first, so that they don't stick together when grouped.

As far as the sauce goes, they will always give you enough, even if it doesn't seem that way. If you make four seperate packages, divide the sauce into four plastic containers and freeze as well.

Allow the taquitos and sauce to defrost completely before cooking. Fry the taquitos till just before brown at 350 degrees, until just before browned. Oil should come about half way up the side and taquitos should be flipped once. Microwaving the sauce will not hurt it, however cooking on the stovetop is prefered. My suggestion is to use a bread pan to serve the sauce, this way the entire taquito can be rolled in the sauce instead of dipped.

And always, always, drink the remaining sauce at the end.

Thanks for the info. How do you satisfy your cravings for Taquito's in Conn?

quote:

Originally posted by High Springs Gator

quote:

Originally posted by braunsteinm

I am very happy to have found this forum. I am 26 years old, and have lived in CT for my whole life. I've visted Southern California close to 20 times to visit family. Every time my family travels there we make at least 2 or 3 trips in the 10 days we're there to Celito Lindo. The taquitos are fantistic.

Three people in my family have eaten 26 of them in one sitting. Unfortunately I've only gotten to 18.

They will sell them uncooked, with sauce in styrofoam cups. We always buy a few dozen to bring back east on the first trip to Olvera St, that way they will be frozen before the end of vacation. My suggestion is to group and wrap the taquitos in double layered tin foil by meal size. I would count 6 or 8 for a hungry adult male. Or 4 for someone who will eat less, a child or woman. If you have the time, par freeze them in a single layer first, so that they don't stick together when grouped.

As far as the sauce goes, they will always give you enough, even if it doesn't seem that way. If you make four seperate packages, divide the sauce into four plastic containers and freeze as well.

Allow the taquitos and sauce to defrost completely before cooking. Fry the taquitos till just before brown at 350 degrees, until just before browned. Oil should come about half way up the side and taquitos should be flipped once. Microwaving the sauce will not hurt it, however cooking on the stovetop is prefered. My suggestion is to use a bread pan to serve the sauce, this way the entire taquito can be rolled in the sauce instead of dipped.

And always, always, drink the remaining sauce at the end.

Thanks for the info. How do you satisfy your cravings for Taquito's in Conn?

Honestly, I can't. My parents went out to LA last summer. They brought me back three dozen. I managed to make them last almost a year. I ate my last package about 2 months ago.

My mouth waters just thinking about it.

A friend of my mother's who lives on Long Island did have a copy cat recipe, but it just wasnt' the same.

I know that their sauce is not a typical guacamole, and I would agree that it is a tomatillo sauce with cilantro, which was in her recipe. But one of the signs on the building DOES mention avacado, so that would explain calling it guacamole, and she did not include that.

I don't have that recipe anymore, but it was hardly worth trying to recreate the magic.

Side note. My mother is in So Cal now, and has made the pilgrimage to Cielito Lindo three times already, unfortunately she will not be bringing me any back because she is going to Colorado before flying back east. WAHH!

I will be going to So Cal in only a few weeks.  My first stop will be Cielito Lindo!  I can't wait.  I'll be sure to do a full trip report.

In the mean time for anyone you craving avocado sauce..... I have a near perfect copycat recipe.  I made this for father's day and it was fantastic.  Just don't use frozen taquitos, they aren't good.  I went to a small local taqueria and had them fry 6 for me, and serve them plain.

CIELITO LINDO AVOCADO SAUCE COPYCAT RECIPE:

RECIPE:
1 can of Herdez Salsa Verde, or something that has tomatillos, onions, serrano peppers, salt, and cilantro.
1/2 ripe avocado
about 1/2 cup cilantro, packed
one serrano pepper, no seeds

Blend this in a food processor until smooth. Add salt to taste or extra serrano peppers if you like it hotter. Strain out all the seed.

Now here's the odd part, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about five minutes. Don't boil, just simmer, this isn't a reduction. Thin with a bit of water or chicken broth. This is a real thin sauce. Maybe as thin as tomato juice. Cool and refrigerate.

I made mine with three cans, 1.5 avacados.... used a whole can of chicken broth.  One of the keys was using a mesh strainer to take all the unchopped pieces of leaf and seeds out.

Knowing that you'll be eating Cielito Lindo's taquitos makes me happy!

Hope they're everything you remember.

I still love them as much today as I did many, many years ago.

Have fun, Mike!

Thanks for the recipe.  I'm going to try it!

This thread has a short review of Cielito Lindo.  Scroll down to the third restaurant.

Looks Super!

There aren't all that many places left in L.A. that I can go to knowing that my parents and at least one of my grandparents also ate at back in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Cielito Lindo is one of them.