Feb 1, 2022 - Food and Drink

Chef's Table with South Philly Barbacoa's Cristina Martinez

Mike D'Onofrio

Cristina Martinez is the chef at South Philly Barbacoa. Photo Courtesy of Cristina Martinez

Cristina Martinez is both a chef and an immigrant rights activist.

A native of Capulhuac, Mexico, Martinez's South Philly Barbacoa is a staple in the city — and she recently started shipping her taco kits nationwide.

The two-time James Beard Foundation award finalist for best chef in the mid-Atlantic region has been featured on the Netflix series "Ugly Delicious" and "Chef’s Table."
Martinez, who's outspoken about her undocumented status, has also been working on a new masa co-op that's designed to allow unauthorized immigrants to work legally and have ownership of their business.

We asked Martinez questions for our new culinary advice series, called Chef's Table.

🫖 Must-have tool in your home kitchen: A teapot. We hardly cook at home, but drink tea in the morning and evening.

🛒 Go-to grocery store: Giordano Garden Groceries in the Italian Market.

🌿 Most underutilized or overlooked ingredient? Epazote and red jalapeños, which are used more in my hometown of Capulhuac.

Epazote, which grows as a weed around here, adds a pungent earthiness to broths. Red jalapeños are overlooked in favor of the green ones, which most people know.

🍽 Last restaurant you went to and your order: Chicken pho with no meat from PHO 75.

☝🏽 Quick tip for at-home cooks: Have a lot of patience and love for whatever you are creating. … To infuse your spirit with your culinary creation, it will make the food taste better and nourishing, and it will also calm down the spirit of the person preparing it.

🔌 How to unplug: Go for a walk, or in the summer, ride a bike around the neighborhood.

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Chef's Table with South Philly Barbacoa's Cristina Martinez

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