I never knew just how much pollution there was in Los Angeles until I flew back from Portland a few months back. I've lived here all my life and have been immersed in this gray cake of smog for so long that we've all become so used to it. It IS the norm. Proof: there are millions of stars when you look up in a place like Santa Barbara. But in LA, you'll see 17. So much for making wishes.
In addition to thousands of commuters, people that evade smog checks and freight trucks that paint our skies gray, I've recently noticed there's a new contributor to our lovely pollution, that in my opinion, isn't so bad. But you'll have to part the nose hairs like Moses on the Red Sea to deconstruct the smog. If you're lucky and in the right part of town, you may hit the goldmine: roadside grilled chicken. If you read this site, you know that I love street food and wouldn't back down on this. And I'm glad to share my food findings with you guys.
Besides the obvious preparation of the chicken, there are a few other things essential to this equation. There's a commonality in the equipment used to produce such a succulent piece of work, that I am most interested in. Let's cut to a random island out in the middle of nowhere. You're in your loin cloth with one oil barrel, a soldering iron, a grill plate, matches, charcoal and a few stupid chickens clucking away. What would YOU do to survive? Not much probably. But if your name was MacGuyver, things might change for the better. How about cutting the barrel in half and soldering them on top of each other lengthwise, adding some legs and a grill plate? Voila, you've got yourself a mean-ass looking BBQ grill. One that makes a Weber look like a puny Foreman Grill. When J and I buy a house, I know exactly what's going in the backyard next to my Dora the Explorer jumper. The grill itself is built to accommodate more meat but still a bad ass piece of work.
Another thing I found to be essential is the type of charcoal used: mesquite charcoal from Sonora, Mexico. I learned that the vast majority of charcoal production happens in Sonora, Mexico and in Arizona, due to the concentration of mesquite trees. This particular charcoal really does have a more robust, distinct smokiness that is a palate pleaser. I've never achieved this taste because I've always used Trader Joe's charcoal mix, Kingsford briquettes and old shoes. But now we all know how to.
A few things before we indulge:
(1) The chickens are usually served with rice, beans and tortillas. Extra tortillas will cost more.
(2) Grilling takes practice, and not everyone is perfect. So if you see pink in your chicken, ask them to grill it longer.
(3) Never settle for the chicken that's already been grilled. I've waited a good 25-30 mins at places like Dino's and Pollo ala Brasa for my chicken, and it's always worth it. How do you know if that chicken's been out for an hour, slowly overcooking itself? Aye, unacceptable.
(4) Say no to BBQ sauce. Latinos don't deviate too far from their common culinary rituals. They've always got a hefty supply of red and sometimes green salsa for you to "dip your chick in."
(5) If you want to make the most out of your meal, may I suggest this really miniscule, geeky food tip? Because I am patient enough to wait for a chicken hot off the grill, I'm getting a really hot piece of food. What happens though is that the food is still cooking even when you've removed it from the heating source and all the juices have not rested. Once you get your boxed-up chicken, give it 5-7 mins before you eat and you'll find that you've basically caused a mini steam-box that allows the chicken to rest and 'sweat'. The result? A nice pool of chicken broth that tastes so good with tortillas and salsa. Mmmmm.
(6) I don't usually like to give 'judge's score' on food because I just like eating/talking about food, and not pretend I'm a self-appointed food critic, but because the competition is FIERCE enough to be on ESPN, and within inches of each other, I had to.
Price: $6.50 half chicken; $12 whole chicken.
Sides: Rice, beans & tortillas.
Hot Sauce: A+
Schedule: Fridays only, 9:30 am to 3 pm (or when sold out)
Overall: B+, 3rd place
I take Adams to work every day off El Diez and spotted these guys. I missed them twice, getting there too early and getting there too late. Finally, after a 3-week attempt, I got to try the chicken cooked by this sweet family from Colima, Mexico. The chicken here was fantastic. Nicely charred skin, generous spicing and strong flavor. I think the only thing was that the chicken was a bit overcooked. The hot sauce on the other hand is really pleasant. The day I picked up the chicken, I bought another 1/2 portion to divvy it up amongst 4 co-workers I've slowly turned on to places I enjoy. They all came back with me 3 hours later to get their own. Everybody was happy.
Price: $7 half chicken; $11.50 whole chicken.
Sides: Rice, beans & tortillas.
Hot Sauce: C-
Schedule: Everyday, 9:30 am to 11 pm (or when sold out)
Overall: C+, 4th place
Amidst all the Korean BBQ places adding to the good pollution quota, this Koreatown vendor is not ashamed to cause smoke signals off Western Avenue. This one isn't exactly a roadside griller as it is part of a Mexican restaurant. They just choose to help paint the sky more gray. But I do love the fact that I have basically 12 hours everyday to feed my face with tasty pollo asado and the people are super nice. The skin was excellent, with that right amount of char. The meat was cooked pretty nicely, but overall, it was a bit light in flavor.
Price: $6 half chicken; $11 whole chicken.
Sides: Rice, beans & tortillas.
Hot Sauce: B+
Schedule: Saturday & Sunday only, 9 am to 5 pm (or when sold out)
Overall: A-, 2nd place
Did you know that good things come to those that take the wrong fucking exit on the freeway? This is how J & I found these cool roadside grillers. J didn't know to look for smoke signals like I did. I could see these guys from blocks away because they were lighting up the street. The skin was very very good – thin and more on the crispy vs. charred side. Meat was very moist, even the breast meat was good. I hate that part, it's boring and dry. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Price: $6 half chicken; $11 whole chicken.
Sides: Rice, beans & tortillas.
Hot Sauce: B
Schedule: Everyday, 9 am to 9 pm (or when sold out)
Overall: A+, 1st place
This roadside griller actually belongs to the cleverly-named Mexican market, Mercado Mexico. Of the four vendors I saw today, this would be the big formidable corporate monster of the roadside grilling industry. With an impressive 4 oil barrel length and at least 40 chickens grilling at one time, these guys will have me back here again in no time. Skin was nice, but the meat and flavoring was the best in my opinion. Jeni and I loved it. It's clear they are doing well when they have that many chickens grilling and a line of 4-5 people buying only grilled chicken.
This is also proof that the roadside grillers of Mercado Mexico have been around for some time now. I can barely read the sign on top!
The truth is, I'll take any of these places for a meal anyday. There's something about street food that really arrests me. The taste of the food? The honest authenticity? The unibrow-raising prices. The hardworking families doing what it takes to see the next day? Yes, but for me, I'm all about the experience.
Enjoy. Thanks for reading.