2015 is the year of the goat. But even though el chivo is one of the most widely-consumed animals in the world, I could only find it at one place in Tucson: an Irvington taco truck pulled by a refurbished ambulance.
El Chivo de Oro, or Golden Goat in Spanish, serves goat birria: a spicy rich stew that originated in Jalisco, Mexico. (They're also big on the beef cabeza, as well as Sonoran hot dogs.) The truck serves the stew in big bowls spiked with cilantro, but they also do it taco-style with spongy corn tortillas that reminded me of injera bread.
The meat itself isn't gamey in the slightest; it's actually very mellow shredded in its sauce with just a touch of sweet. The fun is adding all the toppings that come along with the plastic-bag wrapped plate: the onions, the cabbage, the herbaceous chile de arbol salsa laden with seeds. No big deal here, just a snack!
Insider's tip: They stay open late on Thursdays because they do $1 hot dogs.
Location: Just off South 12th Avenue at 463 W. Irvington Road
Phone: 520-909-9123
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays
Payment: cash only
