Tortilla Maker’s tacos birria are messy, drippy wonderful bite

Tortilla Maker burst onto the scene in August of 2023 and as co-owner Diodora reminded me,  “We were just getting ourselves organized on the first day when you walked through the door.”

I’m glad I did because when a business produces such a great product, it makes my job easier.

Recently Miguel and Diodora reached out to let me know that they were introducing Tacos Birria to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, to their menu. This is a specialty item originating from the states of Jalisco, Aguascalientes and Zacatecas and what may be a surprise to some, it’s traditionally made with goat meat rather than beef.

Over the last year they’ve added approximately six tables so you can now dine in. this means that you can enjoy, what ranks as amongst the best, Mexican food Ottawa has to offer.

In fact other Mexican restaurants are now using Tortilla Maker tortillas for their tacos. Why not? They are better than anything else on the market. Full stop.

Birria is a slowly simmered moist meat served in a modest variety of ways. Sometimes the meat is served drenched in a broth made from the same meat which you then add to your taco and top with sweet white onion and chopped cilantro. 

The way more familiar to most of us is a taco ready-made and served with a cup of broth into which you dip your taco. If you don’t have a proper technique going in, it can be a messy, drippy affair. 

The goat meat was tender, juicy and maintained its mildly pungent character. What a nice reprieve from the dry, flavourless beef of too many taco shops. My appreciation also extends to those who clean the goat meat from the bones. Anyone who’s worked with goat knows how difficult it is. 

Then there was the queso birria, wherein the goat-filled taco had added queso fresco and then fried on each side. With the cheese acting as a glue, this method did make it easier to dip the taco.  

Another item you’d be well advised to consider for take-away is the Pozole. The Tortilla Maker version is made using chicken with the requisite hominy corn. It’s a very filling dish that appears more as a stew than a soup, that can then have all manner of things like lettuce, radishes, avocado, lime or salsa added to it. Delicious and super healthy.

To all our Mexican brothers and sisters who celebrate, Happy Cinco de Mayo.