Ask any taco lover where to find the best carnitas in Los Angeles, and they will likely send you to Carnitas El Momo.
The Acosta family's acclaimed operation sells multiple cuts of pork simmering in traditional copper pots. They spoke with "LA Times Today" at their new restaurant in Monterey Park.
Juan Carlos "Billy" Acosta shared how cooking is a tradition in his family. He learned how to prepare food from his father, Momo.
"For me, it's not separated as far as family and business. It's just family," he said. "A lot of it has to do with your passion for food. I wanted to showcase what my dad and my grandfather had actually been working on, and by learning that, I learned the process. I took the same love my dad did because I'd seen him cook for so many years."
Eventually, the opportunity to expand the Carnitas El Momo taco trucks into a brick and mortar restaurant arose.
"Nothing's changing from the truck to here. Everything is still the same. The restaurant's going to be open from 10:30 a.m. until we sell out. It could be between 2:00 and 6 p.m. We don't know. But right after that, we're going to have the food truck open from six in the afternoon until we sell out. Once it got closer to opening, I was really nervous," Acosta said. "I like that pressure. It makes me cook better."
The Acosta family's two trucks will remain in operation. Follow them at Carnitas El Momo on Instagram for the latest hours, truck locations and sell out updates.
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