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The definitive word on tacos from native Angeleno Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos, who draws on his Mexican heritage as well as his time in the kitchens of some of the world's best restaurants to create taco perfection.

Table of Contents

I AN INTRODUCTION TO GUERRILLA TACOS 12

II PICO RIVERA 18
SWEET POTATO TACO 30
CHUBBS TACO 34
POCHO TACO 38
FRIED BAJA TACO 42
LOBSTER TACO 47
GREEN BEAN AND EGG TACO 51
BREAKFAST BURRITO 54
CHILE COLORADO 57
MEXICAN-STYLE GUACAMOLE 58

III FORKLIFT FOOD 60
SUNCHOKE TACO 71
BRISKET TACO 72
SWORDFISH TACO 75
FRIED POTATO TAQUITO 76
CARNITAS 79
TACO PASTA 81
CRAB AND SPIGARELLO TOSTADA 83
RAZOR CLAMS À LA PLANCHA 84
SHRIMP AGUACHILE 89
ALBONDIGAS 90
POZOLE 94
MENUDO 96

IV A CHEF’S JOURNEY 98
EGGPLANT TACO 114
MUSHROOM TACO 117
MUSHROOM ESCABECHE TACO 121
STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOM TACO 123
CAULIFLOWER TACO 124
CHICKEN ADOBO TACO 126
GROUPER TACO 127
SHRIMP AND CHORIZO TACO 130
TUNA POKE AND SEA URCHIN TOSTADA 133
MUSSEL QUESADILLA 137
ARTICHOKE QUESADILLA 139
BOUILLABAISSE 142

V THE CART + THE TRUCK 144
CHICKEN TACO 160
PORK SPARERIB TACO 162
PERRON-STYLE TACO 165
BEEF TENDON TACO 167
MUSHROOM AND FIDEO TACO 168
SHISHITO PEPPER TACO 171
PIG HEAD TACO 173
GRILLED SHRIMP TACO 176
CALAMARI TACO 179
AJO BLANCO 181
SQUASH SOUP 182
SANTA BARBARA SEA URCHIN SCRAMBLE 185
WAFFLES 189

VI GUERRILLA FOOD STYLE 190
ROASTED PUMPKIN TACO 204
CELERY ROOT TACO 208
CORN TACO 210
WILD BOAR TACO 212
OXTAIL TACO 214
DUCK HEART TACO 218
PORK BELLY AND CAVIAR TACO 220
OCTOPUS AND CHORIZO TACO 223
FRIED CLAM TACO 224
PUERTO VALLARTA–STYLE CRAB TAQUITO 226
TURKEY NECK CONFIT BURRITO 230
GOLDEN BEET POKE TOSTADA 237
RAZOR CLAM TOSTADA 238
SALMON TOSTADA 242
FRIED CHICKEN TORTA 245
CHILAQUILES TORTA 249
STREET TATERS 253
AGUA FRESCA 254

About the Author

Before WES AVILA began his life as a taquero, he was a forklift driver at a box factory for seven years. In 2003, he quit his job to go to culinary school full-time. After attending California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, California, he went to work at L'Auberge Carmel with Walter Mansk, followed by PalateFood + Wine, Marche, and Le Comptoir with Gary Menes. In August of 2012, Wes left the world of fine dining to devote himself to running Guerrilla Tacos-at that time, a two-person street cart.

RICHARD PARKS is a writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. He has written for Lucky Peach, the New York Times, and McSweeneys.

Reviews

“The reason I love Guerrilla Tacos so much is because it has that authentic, Mexican, East L.A. taco vibe. But it also just screams innovation. The flavors and imagination that Wes has put into the tacos is what really makes it stand out. It has that thing that feels like a taco but it’s so much more than a taco.”
—Skrillex
 
“Don’t presume Wesley Avila’s terrific Guerrilla Tacos is a book just about tacos. You’d be mistaken, because this is story, a wonderfully told narrative about a man, his struggles, and his dream. Thankfully for him—and for us—it’s a story with a happy ending and a slew of delicious recipes.”
—Nancy Silverton, co-owner of Mozza Restaurant Group
 
“Wes Avila is a great chef, period. He's also a folk hero and a personal hero, and here is a book filled with his brilliant recipes and stories. All I can say is, if you're like me, you're going look at every photo in this book and say, ‘I want that one, I want that one, I want that one, I want that one...’"
—Philip Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and I'll Have What Phil's Having

"There are cookbooks you can't wait to actually cook out of, cookbooks you display on your coffee table to remind yourself how cool you are, and cookbooks you read every sentence of because they've somehow nailed storytelling and recipe writing. Well, that last one is a rare unicorn. The new Guerrilla Tacos cookbook is one of those."
—Alex Beggs, BonAppetit.com 

"Narrated in Avila’s relaxed, conversational style, that story pulls you in, as do the 50 recipes. [...] Avila also includes more than two dozen of his fantastic salsas, plus illustrations, comics and helpful advice (on tortillas, on tostadas)."
—Tien Nguyen, The Los Angeles Times 

“[...] the brilliant mashup that is Guerrilla Tacos feels personal, not gimmicky. With offerings like pork belly and caviar tacos alongside adobo, pastor, carnitas and the gang, there’s a reason that Jonathan Gold deemed it L.A.’s Best Taco Truck. In Guerrilla Tacos: Recipes from the Streets of LA (Ten Speed), with writer Richard Parks III, Avila tells his underdog story with endearing charm.”
—Christine Muhlke, Bon Appetit

"Avila is leading a new wave of LA chefs — children of immigrants, classically trained in French cuisine — who blur the lines between high and low and, in his case, leaving upscale restaurants to serve street food."
—Mandalit Del Barco, National Public Radio