Tacos, man.

What’s so great about a taco? Some might say, “big whoop, it’s just a few things in a tortilla.” I say, Really? That’s like saying a Rothko painting is just a few colors on a canvas. To the uninitiated, I suppose that could be true but, to others in the know (those with an appreciation for the finer things), that couldn’t be further from the truth. The singular joy of the taco has as much to do with what’s in it as what isn’t in it. Less can be more, there is beauty in simplicity.

Take the carnitas taco. Simply stated, it’s a pork taco. This pork however, at once tender and caramelized to a crisp, is magical. Slow-cooked with salt, oregano and cumin (along with the chef’s choice of other herbs and spices) and typically garnished with a bit of cilantro, onion and queso fresco, it is often served on a hand-sized, hand-made corn tortilla. A good one is rapture, a bad one can still be pretty good. More importantly, the taco is not weighed down with excess ingredients that might otherwise overwhelm or distract the eater.

The pork is the centerpiece – taking the focus from it would be a disservice to the chef and his/her creation. The same can be said for the carne asada taco, the tinga taco and the pollo asado taco. All feature a lovingly prepared meat as the focal point, no more than three complementary extras, and sometimes a salsa. Distinguished more by the main part than the sum of many other parts, the taco is a lot like the Cleveland Cavaliers – a great team of guys that play well together with one main guy that leads and carries the team. LeBron James is the meat – consistently good and essential to the taco’s success.

Though the tortilla on which it’s all presented is basically just a vessel, its importance cannot be understated. Warm and flexible, its subtle taste and texture hold everything together, literally and figuratively. The tortilla might even be more important than the meat – if it were to tear, the taco would cease to be a taco. If it broke down, the taco would fall apart. Think about it this way: if the taco is like the Cavs, then 2009 NBA Coach Of The Year Mike Brown might be the tortilla.

I’m not saying the taco is the perfect food. I’m just saying it's fundamentally the best. Just because the taco doesn’t always wow or hit every time doesn’t mean it’s not king. Even LeBron misses sometimes. The star of the team, the star of the taco – either way you look at it – the meat is still the main attraction, the star of the show. It can stand alone, but it tends to do a little better with some accompaniment.