Osiris Hoil tells me that he's from Yucatan, Mexico, near Merida, and I tell him that I just visited the peninsula this summer. We instantly bond. Specifically, we bond over the famous longaniza from Valladolid, these long ropes of sour and smokey sausages sold from roadside stands throughout the central part of the Yucatan.
Then, as if he just remembers it, Hoil breaks the important news about the breakfast bite I just order at his District Taco stand in Rosslyn: Its sausage is very similar to those Valladolid links. Hoil says he buys the sausages from a Latin market at Loehmann's Plaza in Falls Church. I mentally record this information as if it were a state secret.
Then I dig into what has to be the best breakfast taco I've had since leaving Houston.
But here's the thing: I never would have put together the bite on my own. I had asked Hoil what two toppings I should put on my standard egg, cheese, and salsa taco, otherwise known as District Taco's Basic 1.
He, without hesitation, suggested bacon and sausage. I, without hesitation, took up his offer. By the time I started eating the taco, I felt as if Hoil had just given me a tiny glimpse into his native cuisine.
The hand-bite has what few tacos possess: real crunch. It's provided by the tiny crumbles of crispy bacon, which contrast perfectly with the fluffy yellow curds. But that Valladolid-style sausage (called chorizo on the menu) plays a vital role here: It provides a gentle spice and releases small pools of orange-colored, paprika-stained grease, which add both depth of flavor and aromatics to what often is a fairly bland bite.
In other words, don't be afraid of the grease. It is your friend.
Oh, one final note: Remember to tell Hoil that you want your breakfast taco prepared with corn tortillas. Otherwise, they will use those horrid flour ones.