This blog is a follow-up to Sunday's blog about Texas and country music and food, particularly Mexican food.
It's a follow up because I couldn't get the image of a steamin' greasy plate of enchiladas out of my head. So late Monday morning, I made my way to Taqueria El Crucero for the physical manifestation of the image in my head. To complete the picture, I decided to sit at the picnic table on the front porch.
If you didn't read my blog from Sunday yet and have no idea what I'm going on about, let me catch you up real quick. I went to see Robert Earl Keen at Billy Bob's Texas on Friday night. He sang a song about a front porch that he co-wrote with Lyle Lovett and it includes the lyric "This old porch is like a steamin' greasy plate of enchiladas with lots of cheese and onions and a guacamole salad."
If you want to sample the song on your iTunes, or wherever you find music, "Front Porch Song" appears on Keen's album "No Kinda Dancer" and Lovett's self-titled album where it's called "This Old Porch."
Also, I have to include this even though it has very little to do with anything. The song has a line in it "This old porch is a palace walk-in on a main street in Texas. It ain't ever seen or heard the days of G and R and X's." At least that's the lyric according to CowboyLyrics.com. But I swear the old street ain't ever seen or heard the days of "GNR, INXS" as in Guns n' Roses and INXS. Listen to it and tell me I'm wrong. Or if you can clear this up for me, go ahead.
Perhaps I should return to the subject of enchiladas.
As stated, I had an early lunch at Taqueria El Crucero, where I ordered cheese enchiladas and ate them on the front porch.
I thought it was a nice morning. However, sitting at the picnic table in a bit of a cool breeze, I kind of needed a jacket but was too tough to get one out of my car. I just let the coolness increase my anticipation for the Mexican food on its way. When it arrived, I scarfed it like nobody's business, partly because I had been craving them and partly because the motion of shoveling hot cheese enchiladas into my mouth definitely warmed my entire body.
One of the factors that makes El Crucero my go-to Mexican food joint is the green sauce, which they bring with every plate. I made a swirl of green sauce on my cheese enchiladas, as evident in the photo with this blog. But half way through, I decided to douse everything in green. Then three-quarters of the way through, I added some red salsa to the mix. The enchiladas kept getting better.
All of this happened rapidly as the enchiladas along with most of the rice and some beans were gone in less than 7 minutes.
And then I went happily on my way, listening to sports radio in hopes of avoiding further food cravings.
