Orange County Register

I love when I come across a dish I’ve never heard of before, only to taste it and be converted for life.

That’s where tinga comes in. What’s tinga? Well, I’m no expert but a little Internet searching tells me it’s usually a shredded chicken dish, but it can also be made with pork or beef.

At La Cocina de Ricardo in Lake Forest, a family-owned restaurant in the same strip mall as El Toro Gourmet Meats where I recently dined with some friends, the tinga is a variety called Tinga Poblana, which is made with pork, and an added bonus … more pork!

If that doesn’t make you want to read the rest of this post, well friend, nothing will.As the story goes, this dish, along with many of the others are all passed down by the family’s Grandma Juana. When the owner (Ricardo) graduated high school in the 80s, he decided to use granny’s recipes for his own place. Now there locations in Lake Forest and San Clemente.

Back to the tinga, which is $6.99 at lunch, with rice, beans and tortillas.

The waiter tells me they take the shredded pork and cook it in finely ground chorizo. Oregano, thyme and chipotles make their way into the dish, but it’s not spicy at all. Pig this good should be against the law. Lucky for you, it’s not.

While you don’t really see the pieces of sausage, you do get the salty, slightly greasy flavor of the meat, which compliments the small chunks of shredded pork very nicely. What sounds like it could be a heavy meal is surprisingly filling without making you feel like you’ve got an anvil in your tummy. The beans are nice, the rice a little dry, but the standard cilantro and onions give each bite a very fresh taste, especially when paired with some guacamole.

We just happened to have guacamole at our table too ($6.95 for a large).

It’s perfectly chunky and the avocados taste fresh, but the dip feels like it’s missing something. We all agreed that “something” was a splash of lime juice and some salt. Once we added these two ingredients, we had a primo guacamole on our hands.

Because I didn’t eat alone, I’ll let a couple of my dining buddies tell you what they thought. I’ll add that Jonathan purchased a taco plate for lunch that I somehow forgot to photograph. It was three street tacos - one beef, one chicken, one tinga - with rice and beans for only $4.99. For the money, this might be the best lunch special in all of Lake Forest.

Angela orders Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo (shrimp in garlic butter, $10.95). I’ve had this dish, a personal favorite, many times at other places, but never have I seen it look like this.

Usually the shrimp just take a garlic butter bath, but not at Ricardo’s. Here, the shrimp are covered in an obscene amount of garlic, enough to make the city of Gilroy jealous.

Angela says:  ”My food was freaking delicious. The half-order was more than enough food for me. The shrimp were big and plump and covered with an insane amount of roasted garlic. No vampires around me tonight (sorry, Twilight fans).”

Sam takes a good, long look at the tinga but at the very last moment is too-tempted by the Chile Colorado ($8.95).

Sam, who is a huge fan of this dish, says: “I had a half-order by the way. It was small chunks of tender, slow cooked pork swimming in a slightly spicy red chili sauce, as it should be. It had a nice, almost garlicky aftertaste and was perfect when rolled in a tortilla. The sauce didn’t need extra seasoning, but for my taste could have been hotter. All in all, a real nice lunch for not much bucks.”

Sam nailed it actually. If you’re in Lake Forest (or San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente!) and looking for quality home-style cooking for a reasonable price, Ricardo’s should be at the top of your short list.

Talk back: What is your favorite specialty Mexican dish and why?

La Cocina de Ricardo
23532 El Toro Road #11
Lake Forest
949-586-1480

401 S. El Camino Real
San Clemente
949-498-7808

Ricardo’s Place (also affiliated)
32082 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano
949-493-4941

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