Monterrey, Mexico, may not dominate the tourist scene in the same way that the eternally on-the-up-and-up Mexico City does, but there’s a charm to this northern city that sneaks up on you. Here, the Tecate tastes different (or so say the locals anyway), and chicharrón rivalries are real—Ramos or Mendéz? The choice is yours. Carne asada culture is practically a religion, though not quite as much as fútbol, and cowboy hats are worn entirely unironically. Oh, and it’s hot as hell—the kind of shimmering, dry desert heat that’ll also sneak up on you if you aren’t careful. Yet despite this searingly tough-cookie appearance, the city’s walls are dotted with shrines to the Virgen de Guadalupe and graffitied with Acción Poética phrases overflowing with romantic yearning. In short, Monterrey is a place of contrast, mirrored in the sharp divide between the city and the surrounding mountains.…