Taco truck family loses home to fire
Beloved Mission entity’s operators finding solace in work, community
“When I woke up, all I saw was smoke — I thought I was dreaming.” Stephanie Perez, whose home near the Cow Palace burned
El Gallo Giro taco truck has been parked on the Mission District corner of 23rd and Treat since August 2002, serving up some of the most remarkable carnitas tacos in the world.
Started by Elena Caballero and her husband, Jose Perez, the couple run the business with the help of their daughters, Stephanie and Nicky. For the last 17 years, the few square feet within the truck walls have become a second home of sorts for the family, who moved to San Francisco in 1981 from Guanajuato, Mexico.
But suddenly, the truck is the only home they have left — they lost their house near the Cow Palace to a fire a week ago.
“When I woke up, all I saw was smoke — I thought I was dreaming,” said Stephanie Perez. “I’m still shaken up. I can’t think right now.”
Stephanie awoke around 1:50 a.m., thanks to Lucas and Toby, her two boxer dogs, who shook her bed at the first smell of smoke.
After awakening, she darted downstairs to alert her parents. She didn’t hear them. The house was pitch black and filled with smoke. “The first thing I thought was (that) they’re gone. I run back upstairs to my brother’s room, and tell him to get out. He gets out.”
With zero visibility, she hugged the wall, inching toward her second-story bedroom window, her only exit: “From my room to the window, it was only five steps, but it felt like eternity.” She forced her reluctant dogs out the window,
then followed them.
Once safely outside, she saw her mom and dad, who were able to escape from the downstairs exit through the backyard.
“I’m blessed. I can’t be mad,” said Stephanie. “We all made it out.”
Even after the loss of their home, the family decided to keep El Gallo Giro open while they live out of a hotel. Their work is all they know — their truck, their customers and their signature carnitas.
Made by slowly braising pieces of pork in its own fat until tender and delicious, the dish has its origins in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. The version at El Gallo Giro is prepared in a traditional copper cauldron with salted pork leg, which is given a quick sear on the plancha a la minute to ensure a warm, crispy contrast between the fattier bits. A heaping scoop of meat is generously tucked between two tortillas and given a final flourish of cilantro, onion and salsa of your choice (roja for spicy, verde for mild). Served with radishes and pickled jalapeños to help cut through the richness of the entire affair, El Gallo Giro’s version is one of the best tacos in the country.
Since the fire, the family has received numerous offers for GoFundMe campaigns and other donations, but they’ve declined. It’s not the money that matters in this moment, it’s the community. They say they don’t need the money, partly thanks to insurance, which has covered their transition to a hotel, but primarily to the providence of the family’s matriarch, Elena Caballero.
“My mom has always said we work to save for a rainy day,” Stephanie said.
And how it has stormed. “Nunca sabes lo que puede pasar,” said Elena. You never know what can happen. Omar Mamoon is a San Francisco writer. Instagram: @ommmar Email: food@ sfchronicle.com