Chef/owner Rudy Zamora-Herrera begins the process of making the tacos by trimming the beef — of which he goes through nearly 1,000 pounds each week! The brisket is then stewed for six hours until it falls apart. Then, he prepares a special consommé by blending together 17 ingredients, including chiles, herbs, spices, and secret additions. The consommé is then added to the leftover brisket broth and simmered for about ten minutes. Finally, the once the meat is inside the taco, the tacos are dipped in the consommé.
Camp Springs MD
El Papi Street Tacos
Rudy's Sampler Birria Tacos
beef brisket / chiles / herbs / spices / bananas leaves / achiote / cinnamon / black pepper / cloves / additional herbs / secret ingredients / onion / cilantro / flour tortillas / beans / cheese / chicken / consommé
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Seth Tillman heads to El Papi Street Tacos, a family-run Mexican restaurant in Camp Springs, Maryland and meets chef/owner Rudy Zamora-Herrera and his kids, Charlize and Aurton. Rudy shows Seth how to make Tijuana-style beef brisket tacos, including the birria taco sauce, known as the consommé. Incorporating flavors from all over Mexico and beyond — including achiote from Yucatan and banana leaves from Colombia — Rudy prepares the consommé using 17 ingredients and "magic powers." The consommé is then added to the leftover brisket broth and simmered for about ten minutes. At the end of his visit, Seth and the taqueria's taco-making expert, Patricia, try the Rudy sampler, and Seth experiences the rich flavors that make El Papi's birria tacos so popular.
“Patricia’s queso-birria” taco gets the huzzahs at this quirky Camp Springs taqueria for good reason.
Washingtonian Magazine
