In late 2020, Roberto Morales began to post cooking videos inspired by his family’s cookouts on TikTok and Instagram. The fast-paced recipe demos often kick off with Morales holding up cuts of meat in the air and slapping them like a camera clapboard. As he gained popularity, Morales invited guests to prepare things like steak, crumbled chile chiltepín, and fire-roasted salsas with him, growing his channel to the point where Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rosalía have appeared. He recently filmed a reel in which he makes steak tacos with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to promote Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora, Morales is known for his catchphrases “qúe chille” (meant to resemble the sound of raw meat coming into contact with a hot grill) and “va pa’ dentro” (which means “goes inside”), Morales now owns the fried chicken chain Qúe Chicken, a seasoning line called Robs by Robegrill, and knife brand Suish Knives. He’s also a brand ambassador for Southern California supermarket chain Northgate González.
Eater spoke with Morales on Zoom to discuss his favorite Mexican food destinations in Los Angeles, Sonoran grill culture, and his forthcoming appearance at the Northgate González Asada Fest this Saturday, July 13. The festival will also feature chefs Javier Plascenica, Claudette Zepeda, Yesenia Rios, and local carne asada taqueros, many of whom grace the guide to 38 essential tacos in Los Angeles.
On growing up in Hermosillo, Sonora, and the influence of Sonoran food on Los Angeles
Roberto Morales: The cooking style in Hermosillo centers around the grill, the lighting of the charcoal, the steaks, the tacos, the tortillas de harina (flour tortillas) — that style of cooking and those ingredients have always been with me. I’ve learned a lot from my father, my uncles, and my grandfather. Food and cooking have always connected me to my family.
On eating carne asada and Mexican food in Los Angeles
We did a taco tour a year-and-a-half ago hosted by Northgate González, visiting four or five spots, and had a surprising experience. LA has really good quality tacos. I think it’s because Mexican people there use their fathers’, grandfathers’, and great grandfathers’ recipes, and I think that’s something really beautiful. They are preserving and sharing their family recipes.
Sonoratown had really nice tacos, and the tortillas impressed me. The flour tortilla is as important as the meat. I also went to a place in Grand Central Market that was okay. We went to Birrieria Villalobos, which was really good, and we enjoyed it a lot. We went with two people from my team, as well as my father and we all agreed it was the best spot we went to. Carnitas Los Chingones is great, and I definitely give Asadero Chikali a thumbs up. We went to Tacos El Toro for lengua, cabeza, labio. Overall, it was a really nice experience eating Mexican food in Los Angeles.
On what makes Hermosillo’s carne asada special
It’s about the quality and traditional culture of preparing the meat. The expertise of Hermosillo’s taqueros makes a big difference. It’s hard to explain because it’s something in the culture that goes back many years. And it’s the simplicity — they only put salt on the meat before cooking. I’ve seen lots of videos where cooks use a marinade for carne asada. It’s not bad, but I would say try it without the marinade. Instead, use a quality cut of meat, and it’ll be way better.
There’s no great carne asada without the salsas and menjurjes [slang for a mixture of toppings]. When I make carne asada, there’s always a minimum of three menjurjes. You need a guacamole and salsa tatemada [roasted tomatoes and chiles]. To make the tatemada, mash grilled tomatoes, onions, serranos, and a little bit of garlic if you want with salt, pepper, and cilantro in a molcajete. For the third salsa, you can play a little bit. I like chiltepín a lot.
On why Hermosillo taquerias like Tacos Armando haven’t come to the lucrative Los Angeles market
Armando has been working for many years to build that taqueria. His father started the business as a street cart. They eventually expanded to Mexico City, and I think it would be a good idea to come to LA. There is a lot of competition here, but with the story Armando has, it could be very successful in Los Angeles.
On Mexican food culture in Los Angeles, the “second largest Mexican city in the world,” according to a Norteño
I love how Mexican people in LA honor the culture of their families, and how it has grown. I think it’s almost as good as the food in Mexico, if not at the same level in some places. People asked me how it is possible that the birria was as good as the birria from my hometown, and I think it’s really good because they have their family’s recipe.
On LA’s beloved In-N-Out Burger
My family loves it every time we come here. When we were kids in Hermosillo, we would drive out to Phoenix for In-N-Out. We would be waiting since the moment we pulled out of the driveway because it was our reward for the long drive. We love In-N-Out and as Mexicans, it holds a special place in our hearts.
On other reasons to visit LA
Los Angeles’s culture is mixed, with people coming from around the world, which influences the shopping, sneakers, and streetwear. I really enjoy LA’s street culture. And, of course, Disneyland, which is a must. It was something we dreamed of as kids in Hermosillo.
On what he’ll be doing at the upcoming carne asada festival
I will be a judge and will be trying different dishes the grillers have to offer. I don’t like to judge a lot because I’m a tragon [glutton]. I like everything, so it’s hard for me to pick a winner. I love grilling, eating, and meeting new people, so that’s what I’ll be doing.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.