Tacos! If I had a nickel for every taqueria I ever visited, I would probably be able to travel around the world! No lie! My only desire is to be able to visit all of those food destinations in all parts of Mexico someday. Until then, I will keep trying to recreate those delicious decadent tacos I see on social media from popular taquerias in the states and throughout Mexico. Here we go!
There is nothing like grilled carne asada on a charcoal grill, but sometimes we are limited to indoor cooking.
Chimichurri!
What is chimichurri? Chimichurri is a sauce prepared with herbs, garlic, sometimes peppers, vinegar and oil. It is said to have originated in Argentina. Commonly used to marinate meats, but it is very versatile and delicious as a condiment or garnish. Over time it has evolved with some Mexican flavors, such as cilantro, serrano or jalapeño peppers to give it an extra kick. Lemon or lime juice are a tasty acidic component!
Roasted Molcajete Salsa!
My first molcajete was purchased in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico around 1987 or slightly before then. It sat on my kitchen counter collecting dust for many years! It wasn’t until I started teaching cooking classes in 2007-2008 that I learned to appreciate traditional Mexican cooking tools and cooking techniques. There is something magical that happens, besides getting a good arm workout, when one prepares a salsa in a molcajete! The sounds, the aromas as you grind layers of flavors is like no other. Of course you can replicate a molcajete looking salsa in your blender, but it is not quite as good. That’s just my opinion.
Flour Tortillas!
No seriously, how many video recipes for flour tortillas have you scrolled through on social media? It’s unbelievable! I would never claim mine to be the best, but my family enjoys them. Whether you enjoy them thin, thick, with butter, with lard, baking powder, no baking powder, the variations are endless. Do what works for you! And just so you know, natural rendered pork lard or beef tallow is the best choice over vegetable shortening and even better than some cooking oils. The natural lard and beef tallow break down better. All in moderation is the way I go.
Sometimes it’s flour tortilla!
Once we all agree that depending on which region of Mexico you are in, the foods will vary as far as how they are plated. In northern Mexico it is very common to serve carne asada or beef barbacoa tacos on flour tortillas. That’s tradition and custom in those parts. My parents were from Monterrey, Mexico. Although we consumed a lot of corn tortillas, there were certain dishes that we loved mom’s homemade flour tortillas for scooping or preparing tacos.
Browse through the different flour tortilla recipes. Some will include lard or shortening. Some will include baking powder, others don’t.
Roasted Molcajete Salsa
Roasted tomato, serrano and chile guero molcajete salsa!
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Course: Salsa/Sauces
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes
- 2 large serrano peppers
- 2 guero peppers
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 c white onion, diced
- 2 tbsps. cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
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Preheat broiler on high. After washing and drying the tomatoes and chile peppers, dry them off with a paper towel. Rub a light coat of oil on those ingredients and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a metal rack. Broil for 3-5 minutes per side 6 inches under the broiler. Remove from oven and transfer ingredients to a covered bowl for 10 minutes.
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After 10 minutes, add the fresh garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the molcajete. Grind until you achieve a smooth paste. Roughly chop the roasted chile peppers and transfer them to the bowl of the molcajete. Grind to desired consistency.
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Peel the skins off of the tomatoes (or you can leave them on). I find it easier to grind the tomatoes without the skins. Work the tomatoes in until you have a coarse looking salsa. Mix in the lime juice. Taste the salsa for salt. Fold in the onions and cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
You can roast the onion instead of adding it fresh. It’s much easier to dice the onions whether fresh or roasted before adding them. Grinding onions in a molcajete can sometimes leave you with big chunks.
Tacos! Steak! Salsa!
Loaded Chimichurri Steak with Green Chile!
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Course: Main Course, Tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 Large Tacos
Ingredients
Flour Tortillas
- 1/4 c vegetable shortening or pork lard you can also use beef tallow, avocado oil or unsalted butter
- 3 c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4-1 c hot water
Chimichurri Steak Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs. chuck or flap steak
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 3/4 c chimichurri, see recipe notes
- 8-10 spring onions, knob onions
You Also Need
- 8 oz Chihuahua, Oaxaca or queso quesadilla cheese, shredded
- 6 large Anaheim peppers, previously roasted and cleaned
- 1 c cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 c white onion, finely diced
- 1/2 c cilantro, finely chopped
- Lime wedges
- your favorite salsa
Instructions
Flour Tortillas
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With a spoon, cream the shortening in a medium bowl. Mix in the flour and salt. Gradually mix in the hot water and knead until you have a mostly smooth dough that feels soft. Take your time and knead the dough for at least 7-8 minutes. If it feels too sticky, keep kneading. If it feels too tough, it needs a little more water. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
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While the dough is resting, set up your tortilla station near the stove. You will need a small bowl with 1/2 c flour, rolling pin, 2 tbsps. extra shortening and a nonstick griddle or skillet.
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After 15 minutes, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll them into a smooth ball, then flatten them slightly. Rub some of the shortening on your hands and apply a light coat on the flattened dough balls. Cover once again with plastic wrap and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. Preheat your griddle to heat below medium.
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When ready, take one dough ball and generously dredge it through the reserved flour. Resist kneading the soft dough ball or else you will tighten up the gluten once again. This will result in a dough that is tough to roll out. Transfer it to a flat surface and roll gently away from you. Slightly rotate and roll again. Repeat until you achieve a mostly round tortilla. You can roll out half of the disc and lay or drape them on the edge of your counter. The griddle should be very hot but not smoking hot.
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Lay the uncooked tortilla on the hot griddle. You should hear sizzling noises and see small bubble begin to form right away. If you don’t, that means the griddle is not hot enough. If you see really dark spots, the griddle is too hot. Adjust the heat as needed. When there are lots of bubbles, flip the tortilla. Cook for another 20-25 seconds. They should inflate mostly. Flip it as needed. Tortillas should cook in less than one minute otherwise they can dry out and become brittle. Cook rolled out tortillas and stack them inside a warmer or in between a kitchen towel. Roll and cook the remaining tortillas. Reserve them covered to keep them warm and soft.
The Steak
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Season the steak with salt and pepper on one side. Marinate with 3/4 c of the chimichurri. Mix well to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours. Take the steak out 30 minutes before you are ready to cook it.
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While you wait, roast the peppers under the broiler or air fryer. See notes. Mix the cabbage with cilantro and onions. Cover and keep chilled until you are ready to serve the tacos.
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Preheat a stove stop grill pan or a large cast iron skillet to medium/high heat. Grill the steak in two parts so you don’t overcrowd the pan. If the steaks are thin, grill for 3-4 minutes per sides or until you have some good searing and browning. Transfer cooked steak to covered dish. Cook the remaining steak. On that same grill pan add the onions. Grill for 5-6 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to the dish where you reserved the steak.
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After about 10 minutes, chop the steak finely and then transfer it back to the covered dish. If needed you can warm it in the microwave for 1 minute when you get ready to assemble the tacos.
Assemble Tacos
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Preheat a large nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat for 3 minutes. When it’s hot, add a handful of shredded cheese to the griddle. Place a section of the roasted green chile on top of the cheese. Add a little more cheese around and on top of the pepper. Place a flour tortilla on top. Press gently. Let it cook until the cheese begins to form a crust. Carefully flip it over with a spatula. Cook just until tortilla warms through and starts to bubble in some spots. Transfer to a plate. Add some steak, onions, cabbage mix, lime, salt and your favorite salsa!
Notes
Chimichurri
1 small bunch of cilantro
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 serrano pepper
2 mini red sweet peppers
1/4 white or red onion
Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried chile piquin or red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsps Mexican oregano
Extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover and blend ingredients
After washing, slice the thick stems off of the cilantro and parsley. Roughly chop the other vegetables. Add all of the ingredients to the blender with olive oil. Pulse to blend until you achieve a coarse looking chimichurri. Taste for salt. Chimichurri will taste better if you prepare it ahead of time.
ROAST PEPPERS
remove the stems and seeds from the peppers. Rub a light coat of oil all over the surface of the peppers. Place on a baking sheet and place under a preheated broiler set on high for 3-5 minutes pers side. Every oven will cook at different times. Check after 3 minutes. Transfer blistered peppers to a plastic bag or wrap in a clean kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Peel the blistered skins off after 10 minutes. Slice to desired size.
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