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When Walter Soto injured his back while working in construction, he didn't know what he'd do for work. The happy accident led the Tijuana-born-and-raised chef to return to his teenage taquero roots—he began training in Culiacán, Sinaloa, under Don Alfredo Valdez when he was just 17—and open a no-frills cash-only trailer in 2017, slinging Sonoran-style burritos and tacos in Boyle Heights. El Ruso now resides in Los Feliz on Hillhurst Avenue and remains one of L.A.'s best Sonoran-style options, mainly due to its tortillas. Soto's former partner, Julia Silva, is responsible for the tortilla magic, and even sources the flour from Tijuana (going so far as to drive down occasionally). These are chewy, thin-but-not-too-thin tortillas that are the perfect vessel for Soto's exquisitely grilled meats. Case in point: the chile colorado (shredded beef) gets cooked overnight and paired with dried California chiles for a deeply flavorful, gently piquant mouthful that never tips over into hot. I'm also partial to the asada and chile relleno tacos. Tacos will set you back $5 a pop—two is plenty. Toppings include stewed pintos, cheese, guacamole, cilantro and onions—mix and match as you please. But the real star on the menu is the sobaquera, a Sonoran-style burrito made with a gargantuan, paper-thin, hand-stretched flour tortilla that takes incredible dexterity to make.