Day 175

Barbacoa de Chivo Torta: Some of my favorite new food blog posts have resulted totally by accident, and today's entry definitely falls in that category. Earlier this afternoon, me and the GF were headed to get some lunch, but the place we were headed to turned out to be closed on Sunday. Instead of being too bummed, we started brainstorming for other options. I wasn't super hungry, so I suggested El Rey Del Taco on Buford Highway. I'm a huge fan of El Rey - it's my favorite traditional Mexican joint in this area, and I knew I could maybe order a couple of tacos there instead of knocking back a whole meal. However, once we got there, something else caught my eye: the torta made with barbacoa de chivo (barbecued goat). I've never had goat in any fashion, so I had to order it.

If you've never had a torta, you're missing out. It's basically a hot Mexican sandwich, filled with various ingredients, and served on a crusty roll that's been pressed like a panini. This one featured barbacoa de chivo, avocado, tomato, jalapeno and cheese - yum. I was eager to find out what the goat tasted like, and after pulling the sandwich apart, I noticed that it looked a lot like shredded pulled pork. If it tasted anything like that, I knew it'd be great.

After the first bite, I was impressed. The barbacoa de chivo did indeed taste a lot like pulled pork, only a bit more salty and gamy. It was mixed with some sort of spicy red sauce, so I'm not sure what it actually tasted like on its own. However, it was still tasty, and the addition of the tomato/avocado/jalapeno/cheese only made the whole thing better. Even though this was good, I'd like to try a dish featuring goat that's a bit more unadulterated so I can find out what the flavor is really like.

I wasn't hungover at all today, but if you're looking for a great hangover food, a torta from El Rey would be a godsend. It's a gooey, cheesy, crunchy mess that can't be beat. Highly recommend.