Discada Taco Truck Uses Unconventional Cooking Style in Austin

Chef Xose Velasco (left) and co-chef Alejandro Macias (right), outside the Discada taco truck

What do farming machinery and tacos have in common? If you ask the chefs at Discada, they’ll tell you it’s the modified plow disc from a tractor, a cooking method traditional to northern Mexico.

With one of the shortest menus you’ve ever seen, this Austin taco truck brings a cherished childhood recipe to life, using a preparation technique that’s one of a kind.

Thank you, Discada, for sharing your story and food with me. All opinions are my own.

Childhood Tradition to Food Truck Manifestation

Chef Xose preparing the taco meat in the discada, which provides even heat distribution

It all began when Discada chef Xose Velasco and his buddies, Anthony Pratto and Sean Donahue, got together to celebrate in Velasco’s backyard.

Still in their teens, the boys were taken by Velasco’s father’s taco preparation. In the backyard, several layers of meat and vegetables would slowly simmer on an open flame for hours, in the signature “discada,” or plow disc.

The hot food was finally served on warm tortillas, complete with salsa and lime juice. Velasco soon learned the cherished family recipe.

“Discada cooking, also known as cowboy-wok cooking…has been used for generations,” Discada’s website says. The discada, which functions as a kind of wok, allows even heat distribution throughout cooking.

As the friends grew up, Velasco, Pratto, and Donahue found themselves in different parts of the state. Get-togethers came with the expectation that Velasco would bring a discada, to cook the tacos so dear to them all.

It became obvious that the discada taco needed to be shared with everyone, and thus Discada opened. Austin was an obvious choice, given how much we love our tacos here.

Let’s Talk Tacos

Discada tacos: meat, onions, jalapeños, pineapple, salsa verde, escabiche

Chef Velasco and co-chef Alejandro Macias have been friends since before their voices cracked. The two keep each other accountable to bring their best. They went through multitudes of recipes before coming to an agreement on what to serve from their truck. The agreement was a big deal, given they had never come to one in the history of their friendship (they’re from rival cities).

The taco meat marinades for 24 hours. It takes six hours of slow simmering in the discada, and plenty of seasoning and patience for this delicious taco to be born. Prep is usually half a days’ activity and probably the most labor-intensive part. Salsas are made in-house. The pink escabiche is unique to Discada, and guaranteed to light your mouth on fire. (Seriously, it’s hot.)

The menu is simple: only one kind of taco in plates of one, five, or eight tacos. You can add a side of elotes (corn) for an additional charge. Topo Chico is available to wash it all down.

Discada’s crew and I had a good time chatting up a storm. Velasco and Macias’s camaraderie is infectious, and you can taste the love and memories in the food. The truck sells out regularly, even though it’s only been open a few months!

Little Truck, Big Plans

Discada East Austin Taco Truck on Rosewood

Discada taco truck on Rosewood in east Austin

Discada recently showed off its wares at Austin Monthly’s Best of Austin party. The tacos sold out quickly, as people returned for seconds and thirds.

Going off of how much Austinites love Discada, Velasco, Macias, Pratto, and Donahue hope to continue their partnership by simply making more food. A detailed expansion plan is in the works. In the meantime, head to the little trailer located on Rosewood for a taco that tastes like happiness.