Some Ideas For Tacos
How To Make Great Ones At Home
Hey, everyone!
If you’ve been subscribed to this newsletter for a while, or if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I love tacos. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they are my favorite food. I probably make tacos a few times a week in some way, shape, or form.
What I love about tacos is that they’re an infinite canvas to play around with different flavor profiles, they’re easy to make, and they’re incredibly nutritious if you utilize the right inputs.
There are a few core elements in any taco— the tortilla, the filling, the salsa, and the garnish. Today I’m going to break down each of those elements and link to a few past posts I’ve written walking you through how to make them. My goal here is to show how, if you think of tacos as a format with a few core elements, you can easily mix and match various recipes to create awesome combinations. Use this as a guide to start experimenting!
The Tortilla
A great taco starts with a great tortilla. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it’s the defining element of a great taco. No matter how good your filling, you’ll never have a great taco without a great tortilla.
The good news is that tortillas are fairly easy to make at home, and they’re far better than any you’ll find at the store. Even random leftovers feel like a treat when they’re wrapped inside of a beautiful homemade tortilla.
I’ve put together posts walking you through how to make corn or flour tortillas at home— you can find both below. The key (for corn tortillas) is to seek out really high-quality masa harina. I love Masienda, and Alma Semilleria also makes a great organic version.
If you do go with store-bought tortillas, I love the Vista Hermosa brand. They’re organic, high-quality, and you can find them at almost any Whole Foods across the country. Corn tortillas tend to dry out when they’re refrigerated, so make sure that you reheat them in a skillet with a thin layer of oil to help soften them up and make them pliable.
The Filling
There are quite literally infinite variations for taco fillings— meats, vegetables, beans, cheeses….almost anythign you can cook, you can put into a taco.
I’m a huge fan of any kind of braised meat in a taco. The combination of collagen-rich, tender braise, starchy tortilla, and acidic/spicy salsa can’t be beat. But I make tacos with every filling you can imagine. Below are a few past posts I’ve made with taco filling inspiration:
The Salsa
Salsa is one of the most important elements of a taco. You might even say it’s as important as the filling itself. The salsa brings additional flavor, acidity, and spice.
Mix and match which salsa you choose to complement the filling. A few of my favorites below:
The Garnish
The garnish is the final piece of the puzzle for tacos— it adds a bit of freshness, crunch, and contrast.
At most taquerias in Mexico you’ll find raw diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime juice as a garnish. That’s the classic combination and is always a safe bet.
But you can also play around with other combinations of fresh herbs, pickled onions, or caramelized onions. You can also add things like guacamole, avocado, or various dairy elements (shredded cheese, crumbled cheese, crema, etc).
A Few Combinations I Love
Flour tortilla, braised chuck roast, avocado, cilantro, pickled red onions
Flour tortilla, chopped up steak, chimichurri
Corn tortilla, carne asada, jack cheese, caramelized onions, salsa verde, cilantro
Corn tortilla, whole roasted chicken, spicy lime-herb salsa
Corn tortilla, whole roasted chicken, pecan salsa macha
Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, cotija cheese, salsa roja
Corn tortilla, melted jack cheese, shrimp, greens, cherry tomato salsa
Corn tortilla, beef tongue, salsa verde, cilantro, white onion
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
Myles
I'm now thinking about tacos this weekend. I've had this vision stuck in my head of duck fat flour tortillas, shredded duck, topped with a fried duck egg... maybe this is the inspiration to finally do it!