Mexican Food Guides

Some Mexican cheeses melt and some deliberately do not. Here is what cotija, Oaxaca, queso fresco and panela each do, and what to substitute.

Yellow cheese, cumin, flour tortillas and ground beef mark Tex-Mex; corn, chillies and pork mark Mexican cooking. Here is what separates them.

Suegrita means 'little mother-in-law'. At Doc's it named a crisp double-tortilla taco stuffed with cabbage and cheese. Here is what the name means.

Cóctel de camarones is a chilled soup eaten with a spoon, not shrimp hung on a glass. Here is how the two dishes actually differ.

Crema is thinner, milder and higher in fat than sour cream, and it will not split in a hot dish. Here is what separates them.

A chalupa is a small fried masa boat topped with salsa, meat and cheese. Here is the traditional dish, and how it differs from the fast-food version.

A torta is a Mexican sandwich built on a crusty bolillo roll. Here is what goes in one, and why the bread is the part that matters.

Birria is meat slow-stewed in dried chiles, served as a stew or as crisp dipped tacos with consomé. Here is what to expect.

Bistek is thinly cut beef cooked on a flat grill. Here is what it is, how it differs from carne asada and when to order it.

Al pastor is marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit. Here is where it came from, what it tastes like and how to order it.