In September 2019, Texas Monthly caused a stir (and some predictable envy) across the journalism world when it announced it was hiring its first taco editor in José R. Ralat. For taco enthusiasts, it sounded like the most mouthwatering job.
Ralat, a Dallas-based writer and author of “American Tacos: A History and Guide,” is responsible for reviews, profiles and pieces on the latest trends in the taco world. When he’s not researching and writing from home, he is traveling to the farthest reaches of the Lone Star State to get the real story: the people behind the tacos. Being bilingual takes him even farther.
Ralat — like all journalists in the pandemic — had to adjust early on to bring stories to the monthly magazine’s audience. We chatted with him about his beat, what makes a good taco (and taco story), and a lot more.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
You’ve been Texas Monthly’s taco editor for going on two and half years now. What have you learned about taco coverage since then?
The story isn’t so much about tacos or Mexican food, but the story of the people who make it and what they do beyond the plate. Because food is great. I love it. We all need it. But you can’t quantitatively say, “This is the best taco!” I’m very careful about saying “the best.” I want to make sure that it’s “likely” or “perhaps.” As a journalist, I don’t want to fall into that trap. I can only speak from my experience, but my experience is one gained over more than a decade. I spend a lot of time talking to people — more time talking and listening and eating.
I was in the Rio Grande Valley this past weekend and I went to this Tejano barbecue trailer (called El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ) behind a coffee shop in Mission, Texas. I got there too late for their barbacoa on Saturday, so I went back the very next morning. But during those two visits, I was able to sit and talk with the owners and get their story. It’s so funny to me that the husband says the wife is the boss, and the wife says that the husband’s the boss. It’s hilarious, and that kind of experience is only gained by being thoughtful and patient journalists. If you ask the right question, you don’t have to ask any other question.
Tell me more about your work trip to Rio Grande Valley.
I’ll be writing reviews and other stories, but if you’re asking about my planning process and reporting, it takes me about three weeks to put together my itinerary (for a work trip). That process includes talking with friends who live there or are natives. It includes not just Google, because a lot of places aren’t on Google Maps. Phone calls. Eventually, I create a spreadsheet and a Google map. A place like El Sancho doesn’t have its own proper address. It’s at this coffee shop, Jitterz. You’re not going to find it on Google Maps.
That’s a lot of legwork.
I take this very seriously. This isn’t just, “Hey, I’m so happy to eat here.” Eventually you have to learn to pace yourself. When I started, I was eating at eight to 10 to 13 places a day for comprehensive research, and that’s exhausting. I don’t need to do that now that I’ve visited every part of the state. Until it’s time to do a taco list, and then I have to do that.
Texas Monthly’s taco editor José R. Ralat, is responsible for reviews, profiles and pieces on the latest trends in the taco world. (Courtesy: José R. Ralat)
You worked on this huge project called The Ultimate Texas Tacopedia. How did you piece it together?
It was originally planned to be like a “Top 75” or “Top 125 Greatest Tacos of Texas,” but then the pandemic hit. I was on the way to Midland-Odessa on March 13 when a work email came in saying that all unnecessary travel had to stop. But I was already halfway to West Texas. It was something I couldn’t immediately halt. My editor ended up asking me for a reimagined issue or feature package. So I gave her the Tacopedia. It evolved editorially, but the basic structure is there.
I have learned more than anything how important it is to be adaptable and versatile — like the taco itself. Plans change! You show up to a place, and it’s closed even though everything else says that it’s open, or there’s a pandemic and suddenly your entire planned feature has to be reimagined. So that changed things, but it didn’t change my travel necessarily, because I don’t like being told no and I don’t see obstacles as barriers. I just see them as things to overcome.
With permission, I outlined all the safety precautions I was going to take. I was very careful about my travel. There were plenty of occasions where I walked into a restaurant in a rural part of Texas and immediately walked out because no one was wearing masks.
What was your goal with the Tacopedia?
My goal was to offer readers a survey of every type of taco you could find in Texas.
That is ambitious.
Well, I hope I did it. I think I did it. While also allowing me a rapid-fire opportunity to further acquaint myself with a home, which is huge. People mention town names — and this goes for any Texan — and someone’s gonna say, “Where’s that?” It’s (the state) so big.
What’s your day-to-day work like?
It has fluctuated over the pandemic depending on what measures need to be taken, but over the winter I don’t leave my home region of DFW (Dallas-Forth Worth) because that’s when I’m at higher risk. I have a family. When I’m at home, it’s a boring kind of sit-at-my-desk job with lots of solitude because I’m writing. I’ll get up around 6:30 a.m., I’ll eat breakfast, wash up. Get my coffee and sit down. By that time, I’ve already checked my email. I’ve checked my schedule. I’ll write or research, read throughout the day as needed. When I’m on the road, depending on whether I need to get breakfast tacos, I’ll get up early — about the same time that I do at home.
Do you often travel alone for far assignments, or do you have a photojournalist with you?
I don’t drive. I am medically prohibited from driving because of my epilepsy. I have a couple of friends who drive me around shorter distances. If needed, I’ll fly to the Valley or to El Paso. I will rely on friends in those places and rideshare services to get around, so I have to be very methodical about where I choose to go, when I choose to go. That’s (the photos from Ralat’s stories) all from my phone.
Where do you get your story ideas?
When it comes to places to visit, it’s just constant reading and looking at maps. Some of them are tips, but as far as bigger stories, I will have a lot of conversations. Or while I’m traveling over a couple of months, I’ll notice that there’s a trend popping up and I’ll verify that this is a thing, and write about it.
I look for pieces of the story that are missing. For example, I wrote about women-owned and/or operated taquerias. The taqueria business is dominated by men, but women have historically and codified Mexican food. I wanted to give them their due because they’re overlooked. And so I talked to a lot of women.
Were they receptive to talking to you?
Oh yeah. I can turn on my charm in Spanish [laughs]. I went to this one place in Austin, a very popular taco truck owned by this elderly woman from Monterrey, Mexico. I was very formal in Spanish. I sat down with my tacos, I took a bite and, as I put that first taco down, the plate was taken away from me. The old lady had walked up behind me, grabbed my plate and said, “Follow me, follow me.”
Was she getting you more food?
Yes [laughs]!
I knew it. That happened to me before. Where did she take you?
Inside the trailer. She took this foil off this heavy bottom pot, scooped out whole pinto beans onto one of my tacos, and she said, “Now it’s perfect. Here you go.” I said, “Thank you” and she said, “No, wait.” She gave me this tiny plate of fideos (noodles) and salsa roja and I was just so grateful, and she was so happy. After that, it was easy to talk to her. None of it was planned. I had not intended to butter her up. I was just using my formal Spanish as one ought to do with older people, and that gave me the in.
How do you write about tacos without getting hungry? Or is that impossible?
It’s not impossible. I just don’t think about it. I work hard at separating my home-work life from my in-the-field research. Like many other journalists, I have a terrible diet, and I just try not to think about it.
At home do you eat Mexican food?
Oh yeah, but Burger Night is the most important night of the week [laughs].
What kind of pitches do you get from publicists?
I wish I got relevant pitches.
We all do. I got one the other day about hugging cows.
I would say about 95% of them have nothing to do with me or with my beat.
What makes a good taco story?
A good taco story braids narrative, history and culinary description.
Texas Monthly’s taco editor José R. Ralat chats up workers at a taco food truck in Lockhart, Texas. (Courtesy: José R. Ralat)
And what makes a good taco, in your opinion?
Well, there are two ways to define a taco. One is physical, and one is abstract. Physically, a taco is a tortilla, filling, and salsa. Without a great tortilla, there is no great taco. You’re going to need great ingredients across the board.
I am constantly eating to maintain my palate, to understand, “OK, so-and-so dish needs to taste funky, so when it’s funky, I know it’s not bad. It’s actually right.” I think about the history of the preparation, its tradition, and how closely it is fused to that. If it’s trying to do something different, then I have to take that into consideration. But ultimately, it’s about the taste. If you like it, I’m not going to argue with you. If it tastes great, who cares. It tastes great.
But on the abstract, a taco represents its time and place. It is dependent on the market, population changes, what’s available, and what people want.
What advice would you give to other news organizations who want to create a position like yours — like a wings reporter in Buffalo or a cheap pizza reporter in New York City?
I think what Texas Monthly did is understand what is relevant to the culture. Texas Monthly is invested in representing all of Texas, so if any media outlet wants to do that, they need to look at every facet of the culture — whether it be food, clothes, architectural design, and throw that beat at someone.
Texas is so vast. I feel like part of your job is introducing pieces of the state to your readers, as well.
I really hope that I am able to shine a light on the people who make this food and this state great. There is plenty to dislike about the state. We have a lot of our own unique problems. But we can all come together at the table and hopefully eat tacos as a force for good to better understand ourselves.
Are you a journalist with a unique beat? Or did you work on an interesting project that you think we should know about? We’d love to chat with you. Please email Amaris Castillo at acastillo@poynter.org and we may feature you on Poynter.org.
