I love living in California. We pay too much to live here, teeter on the brink of earthquakes and state budget emergencies, and wholeheartedly embrace political correctness as a lifestyle. Not that you could tell what we embrace, on account on those botoxed foreheads and stuff. And this is just Southern California; don’t even get me started on my Northern California Relatives. In fact, while in Santa Monica last week I encounted no fewer than three-hundred-and-forty-seven placards letting me know that I could park only on the street between the hours of 8 to 1, that I couldn’t park there because my car used gasoline, no, wait, that the spot was actually reserved for visually-impaired drivers, or that the parking meter I did actually find didn’t take money but some kind of space-aged FOB made out of recycled water bottles and–my favorite– to be quiet or not to honk or block the intersection or use peanut oil out of respect for those with allergies.
It’s really enough to make someone want to move to the IE, I tell you.
But on those moments when California does get it right, well, it’s a beautiful thing. You could be as wacky or flamboyant as you want and no one notices. You can drink bottles and bottles and bottles of wine from your backyard. You can lose your winter coat. You can worship at the alter of vanity and spandex and feel rewarded and no one will look at you funny when you hold a soy latte and say “I’m currently workshopping my treatment.” And you can even make nachos out of fries.
Let me repeat that: YOU CAN EVEN MAKE NACHOS OUT OF FRIES.
I’m sure to get many comments and emails about this when I claim this is a Southern California Original. But while my research is limited, my appetite is huge. And do I care whether these things were born in San Diego or San Isidro? Not really. I’m sticking to the version of this story I’ve made up in my head that involves a taco shack, a surfer, an ounce of Blue Mystic and some rolling papers. Because really, how else would these things come to be? It’s the collision of Mexican Cuisine and an American Favorite, a big salty pileup that takes no prisoners and requires you, the eater, to really really really really want it like you’ve never wanted anything before. Because this dish isn’t for wimps, purists or those afraid of getting dirty. It is what it is and it’s freaking marvelous.
And do you really need a recipe for this? Aw, well, ok, I’ll indulge you. Grab that slab of Carne Asada and chop it ever so aggressively into small chunks of meat. Top the french fries of your choice (double-fried method for me, thankyouverymuch) with the carne and then go absolutely insane with cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeños, queso fresco, whatever…you see where I’m going with this. There’s no rhyme nor reason. And why would you expect there to be? And while we’re still on the topic, you do have my permission to go crazy when no one’s looking and dig in and thank the great State of California for her culinary greasiness, er, I mean greatness. Lord knows I did twice this past week.
And I don’t even smoke pot.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe you should make the exception today, it IS 4/20!!!! Those look delicious.
You may not smoke pot but I think you just became a superstar for those who do!
My cousin who is from San Diego, moved to Tennessee to go to school. The one thing he wouldn’t stop talking about were carne asada fries. Non-stop. Of course, everyone in tennessee thought he was c-r-a-z-y.. but now I get it.. I totally get it.
As a child of Southern California currently exiled to the east coast you have just brought me nearly to tears by reminding me of carne asada fries. You can’t even get proper nachos out here, much less carne asada fries. And California burritos? The genius who decided to put french fries in a burrito has my undying devotion. I can’t wait to come home.
Possibly a cousin to Peruvian Lomo Saldato? Beef, tomatoes, red onions… sauteed with french fries.
Yours looks better though… a perfect hangover breakfast for sure.
thank you for the hilarious title. i laughed water right out of my nose. i hope you are happy.
Munchie heaven, whether induced by weed or boredom or plain old hunger!
Why is it that there is so much wonderful super high fat fabulous junk food in LA? The one place in the world where being a size two is considered overweight? This must be one of the greatest questions of our time
Yes there is plenty of raw, organic, soy based, macrobiotic and zone food available in LA, more than anywhere else probably. But the abundance of delicious and widely varied junk food is in direct contradiction to the health and uber skinny craze that is pure LA.
Damn that vexing city and all it’s wonders.
This dish reminds me of that Canadian mess called poutines? I think that is the right name, my apologies if I forgot the correct name for that Montreal wonder plate of soggy fries covered in cheese curds and brown gravy. What a national dish huh?
But who am I to judge. You love what you grew up with I guess. Me? I adore gefilte fish!
Its almost sort of a cousin to poutine! Which I love. Great stuff. I will have to make this, I keep meaning to buy a deep fryer. Thanks for the always enjoyable blog.
I’ll be right there. I’m pregnant, so I can actually smell them from here!
Happy 4/20.
As someone who lives Buenos Aires, I loved the reference to San Isidro!
Ok, those look incredible but just wait until you try Nacho Tots. Yep, nachos built on a bed of tater tots – insanely good.
Bah, that’s just a pique macho as they’re called down here!
http://www.saltshaker.net/20081220/fort-apache
D
This is stoner/hangover heaven on a plate! A little extra hot sauce on mine please. If you like this you have got to try the oxtail poutine they have at Animal right now. Yowzers!
Mat,
that shot really stopped me in my tracks. I like it and it surprised me a little after your rant about Bon Apetit ( which I liked).After all, it is up to magazines to set the new trends that will filter down ( after may years) to books and ads and everything else.So, it looks like to have embraced the look.good. and the text was brilliant.funny.so you.
I’ve had something similar in Chile – chorillana, which has a fried egg or two on top. That thing kicked my butt.
I like the idea of nacho toppings better.
I won’t judge your indiscretions, if you don’t judge mine.
Actually this looks wicked good. I want some right now. Yum!
Cheers,
~ Paula
you better start smoking dawg!
it’s all about the 909!! haw haw!
luv luv
Is a fork required?
Oh wow. This is impressive. It reminds me of eating “curry and chips” when I lived in England. Often at midnight: it tastes even better then.
carne asada fry heaven!
what a coinky dink! i dragged matthew down south to where my heart is (sd) this past weekend to have him try my favorite place for these suckers (I think I have my top 5 places in sd scouted out lol) so wrong but so right. are there any decent places to get this in la? (still have yet to find a good one) I’m emailing u the money shots from this past weekend of this bad boy. watch out!
Aw man, I’m a Northern California Coast Girl and I’ve never heard of those but they sound awesome!
Amen dude. And as far as the IE goes, well, I moved away from the 909 to hang with the hippies in Nor Cal, but I sure do miss the CARNE ASADA FRIES that I used to get at a little dive in Redlands, God bless em.
AH I am so happy I found your blog! Nothing can ever compare to those!
I hate you. I grew up in San Diego and am currently living in Northern Virginia (translation – as far away from carne asada fries as humanly possible). Dude, you are killing me. Making my own is so not the same as rolling up to the ***berto.
You have cajones. That’s all I can say. Because I did not post, though I did Twitter, about the recently experienced Tachos. And I took a horrible iphone photo of them. Tater tot nachos. They were horrible and wonderful all in one. I think that would make them hornderful, right?
Yes. PLEASE! Thanks for this post not only for the fries, but also to remind me that I do want to live in LA (I go through my ups and downs with this messy, but glorious city)!
Fantastic! I think I remember reading about French Fry nachos at a place in Eagle Rock called My Taco and thinking, mmm….yummy, perfect stoner food. I never even considered making them at home. Thanks, Matt.
Okay, you became my hero with the roasted feta, which I still snarf on a regular basis I’ll have you know. And now this. Oh, Matt, what have you done? I’ll be dreaming about these fries… dreaming, drooling… and then I’ll make some. Oh, yes. I will introduce this to the East coast where we can park on the street and–up here, north of The Big City, anyway–honk to our hearts delight.
holy awesomeness. a perfect picture.
we just got back from a trip to spain, and on a tapas crawl in madrid, we encountered your nacho’s spanish cousin at Casa Lucio… fries, topped with fried farm eggs and chorizo. (http://tinyurl.com/c5zq5y, the last pic).
Can you say *munchies*?
I have spent my life in Long Beach, LA and San Diego and love love love carne asada fries (very particular though– they should only have fries, cheese, carne, and guac to be the best and never sour cream). I fell in love in SD, but haven’t found comparable fries in LB– do you have any recommendations? I would love you forever if you did!
Um, amazing. This just looks glorious.
I’m back, and it’s all your fault because you have me daydreaming about fantastic munchie or hangover food when I have work to do
This post has been implanted in my brain and I find myself longing for a very late night out with plenty of imbibing so I can indulge in a plate like the one you pictured above.
Since I don’t know where to find great Carne Asada Fries in Chicago I am salivating over another classic dish. It used to be called a 554 at a joint in Chinatown, it’s number on an old menu. A plate of perfect Chinese white steamed rice covered in a fried egg and topped with world class roast BBQ pork. The kind that is super tender and savory and pinked around the crunchy edges from the sauce it was roasted in. You know, the kind that hangs in the windows of the best Chinatown BBQ joints.
Now I just need to plan the night out that will make eating this naughty delight worthwhile. A night where I will be drunk or high enough to forgot my reasonable healthy diet. Ahhh, I miss my twenties!
Fries and guacamole is AWESOME. Or even better fries with guac mixed with some sour cream. Yum. We used to eat this all of the time after a night out drinking. Now, um, fifteen years later, and with a baby, not so many nights out drinking. But I think I’m gonna make some at home to re-live the old days.
Also gonna have to go whole hog and try your recipe.
Now that I think about it, fries + guac = mexican poutine? (well, if you added some cheese I guess).
Dude, that is like, so totally … wait, I just lost my train of thought. Can I have some nachos?
Reading your article really made me homesick. I’m absolutely a LA girl no matter where I happen to be living. I miss the buzz of Main St SM (parking signs and all) but I really miss a good taco truck. Now I have to book a flight home sooner than planned!
shit cali really knows how to get down with the food.
Canadians do a lot of weird things with fries. I embarrassed myself once at a Canadian Air Force base in France when I ordered what turned out to be a large plate of fries with a side order of fries.
Damn, that was funny. And I’m not even high… sure you weren’t?! Love when that grease goes to your head
Great SoCal references – I’m an Aussie who lived in LA for a couple of years and I think you summed it up to a tee – I’ve rarely seen food so extravagantly itself and have since become a big fan. I now even dunk my pizza in ranch dressing when the mood strikes
Great write up, Matt! The Santa Monica episodes are so damn true. I need munchies now. T.
Oh, oh, carne asada fries. Come to south San Diego, find a Lolita’s [in Clairemont Mesa, Bonita, Downtown, or Chula Vista] and get yourself some heaven. My friends who have moved to LA say they can’t find them as good up there.
Man, poutine, carne asada fries…all the memories these foods bring back. My uber-health conscious sister-in-law and her hubs were thrilled to introduce me & Doc to their fave SD spot (Roberts?) for Carne Asada Fries. They literally live so healthfully – I think this is their ONE guilty indulgence. Imagine my horror when the thing they most wanted to share with me turned out to be so *enh* in my opinion. I’m no purist or dilettante (except prolly only dilettantes use that word, eh?) but I’d rather have poutine or chicharrones or buttered popcorn and milk duds (together, try it, you’ll see) .
The fries don’t stand up to the toppings which seem to me to want a proper tortilla. Then again, maybe it’s just been too long since I’ve been in *that* state of mind…
Thanks for keepin’ in real!
Aren’t these actually called Irish Nachos?
Hillary,
Not around these parts. They take their name from the main protein + fries, hence Carne Asada Fries. But I suppose you could call them Irish Nachos since they’re made with potatoes. But then wouldn’t that be Peruvian Nachos in recognition of the potato’s origins?
Great post–love all the CA imagery! A friend and I were just talking about her recent wonderful trip to your stomping grounds–she loved that she could do whatever and it was all copacetic. And the recipe–A perfect munchie-buster!
I love slap-dash recipes like this. It’s how the professionals do it; it’s how I’m learning to do it at school (I’m a culinary school student). Remember, a recipe is just a starting point!
Cheers.
Hey, didn’t we have something similar in the Bahamas?
hey matt- don’t withhold a good carne asada spot in the LBC, please dish!