Authentic Taco Recipes
I grew up in Iowa with gringo tacos. Stiff, store bought corn shell, ground beef seasoned with a packet, chopped onions, shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomato, etc.
When my wife and I went to Mexico this year, I experienced authentic Mexican tacos and fell in love with them. I asked the cook about the recipe and (though they may not be really authentic) this what I could come up with: soft, heated corn tortillas filled with steak strips cooked on the grill with onions, chiles, lime juice, salt and pepper and small amounts of cumin, and Worcestershire. They were then topped with pico de gallo and fresh cilantro. I still love to chow down on gringo tacos, but I will never look at them the same way again. Do any of you have any authentic Mexican Taco recipes?
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5 Comments:
I find you really can't go wrong with Rick Bayless recipes for tacos. His Smoky Shredded Pork tacos are my favorite.
http://ttrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/02/smoky-shredded-pork-tacos.html
ErikaWaz at 3:49PM on 11/20/07
I agree with the recommendation for Rick Bayless' pork tacos. I think I might like steak tacos even more, cooked pretty much as you described:
Grill up some skirt steak, seasoned with salt and pepper, over high heat until just done, with some nice char on it. Chop it into little bits and serve on warm soft corn tortillas with a squeeze of lime, fresh salsa, onions, and cilantro.
I think getting a nice sear on the meat makes it taste much better, as long as you don't overcook it. Skirt steak is sort of chewy anyway, but cutting it into little bits help. Taste-wise, it's the best cut of beef for tacos.
Fresh salsa makes a huge difference, and it's not hard to make. (It's actually kind of hard to screw it up.)
Here's a really good hot red salsa:
8-12 chile de arbol
1/4 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tomato
2 jalapenos
Boil all ingredients in water until soft. Take them out with a slotted spoon and puree in a blender or food processor until finely pureed. Season with salt.
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I make another one that's even hotter: Roast 4-5 good size tomatillos and up to 4 habaneros over a flame or under a broiler until partially blackened. Process these with a few garlic cloves (roasted or not), a fistful of chopped cilantro, and salt to taste. You could also tone the heat way down by using a roasted poblano pepper instead of the habaneros, and it's still really good.
guber at 6:00PM on 11/20/07
I would look for the best tortillas available. If there is a Mexican population of any size near you there is probally a tortillaria (tortilla factory). Find out where it is or where to buy its tortillas. In larger cities (Chicago, NY, LA) you can often go to the tortilliaria and buy packages of tortillas that are still warm. The ones from El Milagro in Chicago are the best I have ever had.
coolname at 8:26PM on 11/20/07
I buy london broil (1lb) or the like in cut and marinate the meat in lime juice (1 lime), pinch cumin, 1 or 2 cloves of chopped garlic, half tsp ground ancho, half tsp ground chipotle pepper or the same in liquid from a can of chipotles, tbsp of olive oil, sea salt and leave for at least 2 hours. Then grill with onion and peppers and serve with pico or sour cream or whatever you want. Carne asada is the best.
JerzeeTomato at 2:01AM on 11/21/07
Thanks guys. I have to make tacos soon.
ajeys at 10:35AM on 11/23/07