Help me make good tacos!

Cookie, This is what I call a Mexico taco.
Gringo Taco = ground meat, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes with salsa (some can guac, sour cream etc…) basically taco bell.

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As long as its not ground meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and KETCHUP. Sorry I cannot get down with that even though I understand the context and flavor combo.

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Okay, then follow @ebethsdad & @aaqjr’s recipes. I like those too, but if I posted some of the tacos I make their purist heads would explode. However! I would mention that stewed meat in a taco is Mexican too… ever heard of Guisados? :wink: Then there’s everyone’s favorite and my personal taco validator, out-of-the-box, Taco Man, Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos… Saag Curry Eggplant Taco, anyone? But I digress. Everyone should make whatever taco they want. I’m just joking around here. I’m bored!

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Sounds delicious! :grin:

Here, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQG_fzADCunBTV1KwjkfAQQ, watch these incredible videos and dream about Yunnan.

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Now, THAT would make a great taco! :grin: Love the cat!

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Never had cat in a taco :heart_eyes_cat::upside_down_face::laughing:

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You should try it! Nummy, nummy!

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Luluthemagnificent…Taco Chronicles on Netflix is a really, really good series on tacos. It’s in Spanish, but English subtitles are available. It might not tell you exactly how to make your tacos, but it’ll definitely make you hungry :grin: :upside_down_face:

You don’t need to to dis those Guerrero tortillas. They aren’t terrible and can certainly serve your puprose. And unless you want to do soft tacos, making your own and then frying can be a PITA. The store bought corn tortillas fry up better, just find the thinest ones you can.

And while it’s true that crispy tacos as we know them in the U.S. are not terribly common, tacos dorados are very common. They also go by the name taquitos, altho’ they are anything but the dry skinny rolled tacos we know here. Tacos dorados are corn tortillas wrapped around the filling and fried until crisp, they are actual rather plump. They are crackly crisp and the ends shatter when you bite into them. They are well filled and garnishes - what we would put inside a taco - are served on the side.

As for your chicken breasts, the traditional route is to poach and shred your chicken and use it plain to stuff your tacos. Since American chicken tends to be bland, I think it needs some help. Pollo asado - grilled chicken - is a good bet. Another very common taco filling using chicken is tinga, which is a very simple guidado (stew) of chicken, tomatoes, onions and chiles, usually chipotle. If you want to go with a seasoned chicken breast, try salt, pepper, a little granulated garlic and a pure powdered chile powder like ancho or chipotle. Lightly season your chicken breasts and saute in a neutral oil. When done, remove and chop and shred.

I’ve spent the last 20+ years traveling all over Mexico from Tijuana to San Cristobal, Chiapas. I’ve eaten a LOT of tacos :yum:. Mexicans will put just about anything in a tortilla from iguana to steak to beans and potatoes to ant eggs. Some tacos are plain, others, like many served in Tijuana, do come with a lot of other “stuff”. What Americans often miss about Mexican dishes is that it’s usually not about the protein. It’s about the sauce, from the humble table salsa up to the most complex mole negro, the quality of the sauce will trump the protein on the plate.

So do what you like. Don’t stress about your chicken, put your time and energy into your salsa, it’ll enhance your chicken in the long run.

Buen provecho…

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How do you do that with the tortilla???

Thank you!

Hot CI, only enough oil to make the pan shiny, not fry the tortilla, then let it sit until it puffs. I think those were flour and corn… probably another violation.

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Thanks. Bob fries them which is super but so does this sound.

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I like ‘em fried too… I like all kinds a ways.

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They are alright.

I was afraid of this. Looks so simple when the mexican ladies are making them.

i’m doing something like this in the crockpot. wish me luck.

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Luck!
BTW if you are anywhere near the Valley Vallarta markets have great salsas, tortillas and chips. I am dubious about the quality of their meats, but their produce is excellent, and priced well below other supermarkets. As would be expected they have excellent dried beans, and dried chilis. They have been following all the sanitary guidelines, and there is usually no line.
Take pictures of your tacos and let us know how they turn out!

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I am sure they will be delicious

Here in San Diego we mostly have Northgate markets. I think we had a couple of Vallartas but I’m not sure they’re sitll here. I agree with you 100% about the produce department in Mexican markets, they are usually a sensory delight. The flagship Northgate store in SD is literally Disneylandia for food. The produce is always very fresh and it is always priced lower than most other markets. They’ve got not one, but two meat counters and they are very good and quite safe. I’m not overly fond of their tortillaria and masa but they’ve also got a cheese counter and a ceviche counter that would be an extravagance in any other store. And their chocolate bar cakes…OMG, so good.

I always wish that store was closer to me, but the independent Mexican grocery that is close to me is very good as well and is owned by the family that owns Sprouts. They are nixtamalizing corn for their tortillaria which makes their masa, hands down, my preference. Their produce is equally low priced and generally good but not as pristine as Northgate. Their meat counter is hit or miss but their bollilos and teleras are heavenly and they have a production line set up in the produce department cranking out flour tortillas from scratch. They are probably the most expensive flour tortillas in San Diego but they’re also the best. On weekends the line for a package (or 3 or 4) is ot the door into the parking lot, and with good reason they are divine.

I love shopping in Mexican markets, the produce is very fresh, very well priced and it’s always a great experience.

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I really love the Northgates in my neighborhood. It’s like going to Whole Foods. So many things to look at…so many things I want to try…and I do! Tortillas for taco nights come from there and I love crema con sal…and the lady who custom makes guacamole when I’m too lazy or don’t have the time to make it.

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The Northgate on Whittier Blvd? We have several Northgates closer to us but drive almost 30 minutes to go here. They literally have everything. It’s really the Mexican version of Whole Foods. The home made flour tortillas are great. We love the salsa bar as well. Going to make our own salsa and try Kenji recipe for carne asada next week.

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