When Manuel Flores Fierro arrived in New York in the 1990s, he brought his wife, Norberta Sanchez, and a love of traditional Mexican cuisine passed down from his mother and the kitchens of Mexico City’s taquerias.
The family, who hail from Puebla, opened Taqueria La Perla Poblanita in Tarrytown seven years ago and have built a reputation among diners seeking authentic Mexican cuisine.
Norberta prepares the taqueria’s sauces; Manuel handles the grill and stove in the small open kitchen. The tidy five-table establishment imports all its goods directly from Mexico.
Customers who’ve visited our neighbor to the South appreciate the authenticity, said the couple’s daughter, Melissa Flores Sanchez, who’s in charge of the restaurant’s front-of-the-house duties.
“They tell me they’ve been to the markets, the mercados, and they expect us to be up to that level like when they go to Mexico,” she said. “And they’re not disappointed.”
One recent afternoon, Manuel grilled skirt steak and prepared a bowl of pozole, a traditional Mexican soup flavored with corn and meat, before demonstrating La Perla’s specialty: birria tacos.
La Perla prepares this favorite with a savory stew of shredded bottom round flat (a lean cut of beef) flavored with guajillo chiles, chile de árbol, garlic and onion — a mixture that takes hours to reach peak flavor.
When the stew is ready, Manuel sets the tortillas on the grill, flipping them over several times before dipping each one in the birria sauce, turning them a rich, dark red. Then the tortillas — which are doubled to hold the generous portions — are topped with their signature mix of beef and spices, then garnished with chopped cilantro and diced onion.
The tacos come with a cup of consommé dipping sauce composed of beef stock that blends guajillo and ancho chiles with a complex mix of spices to provide a rich, smokey and slightly sweet flavor.
The plate arrives with a freshly fried jalapeño and scallion, wedges of lime and sliced radishes.
You might consider adding shredded Oaxaca cheese — a mild Mexican cheese also known as quesillo — which is sprinkled over the tortillas before the meat is added. The birria filling is also available for other dishes on the taqueria’s menu.
Customers have developed a more sophisticated palate when it comes to Mexican cuisine, Melissa said. And they don’t mind it if the kitchen turns up the heat.
“More people like spice. We at first started making things mild but people said, ‘No, we like spicy.’ So now when people request, ‘Can you make the enchilada spicy?’ we can fry a jalapeno or serrano for them.”
Taqueria La Perla Poblanita
53 Main St., Tarrytown
Open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
laperlapoblanita.com
914-909-2710
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