"Imagine a quesadilla that’s more like a taco with an armor of cracker-crisp golden Oaxaca cheese welded around it. This kind of quesadilla is called a costra de queso, and it’s now the only way I want to eat quesadillas (and I’m from Texas!). You can find it at Vaquero Taquero, a popular food truck turned brick and mortar spot in Austin. Owners (and brothers) Daniel and Miguel Cobos borrowed the technique from taquerias in Monterrey, Mexico—the two grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, right along the border. Their quesadillas give you both a hard and soft shell taco in one. You can choose from a variety of meaty fillings, from al pastor to steak (please appreciate the cartoonish animal heads that illustrate these options on the menu), but the pro move is to get the nopales. The nubs of cactus are sautéed with smoky salsa macha on the griddle to give them heat and crunch and depth without any of that gooeyness often associated with the vegetable. Then the nopales-salsa mixture is punched up with some sweet corn before going into the quesadilla. No matter which filling you go for, get your order “con todo,” with a tangy, Frank’s Red Hot-esque salsa roja; avocado crema; cilantro; onions; and—because why not?—even more cheese." - ByPriya Krishna
