Tacos are a typical Mexican street food. Done right, this dish is quite simple and quick to prepare, and it tastes so delicious it's almost impossible to resist. Tacos come in a variety of flavors, which is why this article provides some options for how to cook different types of meat for tacos. It doesn't take long, these tacos are far different from fast food tacos, and they taste even better!
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Method 1 of 5: Making Mexican Tacos
Step 1. Start with the tortillas
If you really want to make Mexican tacos, you can make your own tortillas with masa harina and water. Although it looks like a hassle, the process of making tortillas is actually quite easy. Just mix water and mass in the right ratio, press, and fry briefly on a hot skillet.
- Flour or corn tortillas, which one is better? The texture of flour tortillas tends to be smoother, and tastes sweeter. On the other hand, in a typical Mexican taco dish that features meat, what is needed is a corn tortilla. In the end, the most important thing is your taste. Try making a taco dish out of both and decide for yourself which one you prefer.
- Crispy or soft tacos? Again, the choice depends on your taste. Crispy tacos are easy to make by frying them in oil. However, many Mexican tacos use soft tortillas.
- Using two tortillas or just one? Many places in Mexico serve two tortillas in each taco dish. It's more filling, and can prevent taco fillings from spilling through a sheet of tortilla, and is an easy way to finish an old tortilla. However, if you are on a diet that pays attention to the amount of calorie intake, use only a tortilla sheet.
Step 2. Make the onion stuffing with coriander leaves and lime juice
Even though they are really easy to make, no taco dish would be complete without this filling. Mix the following ingredients and leave for a few hours:
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 limes, squeeze, take the juice
Step 3. Another option, make salsa pico de gallo
Pico de gallo is a mixture of tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and lime. Many people associate this salsa with tacos, and just like the onion filling, pico de gallo is quite easy to make.
Step 4. Make the tomatillo salsa
Whether you're cooking salsa verde in the slow cooker, oven, or stovetop, the basic recipe is the same: cook the tomatillos, onions, garlic, and jalapeno peppers over high heat, then mix them with a little lemon or lime juice. A delicious accompaniment to any taco dish is ready.
Step 5. Arrange the meat in the tacos
In taco dishes, meat selection is the most important step. The meat determines the taste of your taco dish (unless you're making vegetarian tacos, in which case the meat won't matter). It's for this reason that the guidelines in this article provide a wide selection of meats (see below) that you can use. There are several ways / types of meat you can use in tacos, namely:
- Carne asada ("grilled meat", eg beef)
- Carnitas (which literally means "small pieces of meat", eg pork)
- Al pastor (which literally means shepherd's style, e.g. pork)
- De pescado (which literally means "of fish")
- De camarones (which literally means "from shrimp")
- Other cuts of meat such as lengua (tongue), sesos (brain), cachete (cheek), trompa (lips), etc.
Step 6. Fill the tacos with meat and add toppings if desired
The tacos are ready to serve when the tortillas, meat, onion filling, and salsa verde or pico de gallo are available. However, if you want to make it more interesting, you can add the following ingredients as a complement:
- Beans (black or mashed)
- Guacamole or avocado
- Cheese (queso fresco or "Mexican blend" cheese)
- Roasted corn
Step 7. Decorate and enjoy
The decorations that are often given include radishes and lime wedges. However, you can also add pickled onions or pickled vegetables like carrots. Enjoy the tacos you make and make your guests proud.
Method 2 of 5: Making Carne Asada
Step 1. Mix dry and wet ingredients in a blender
Blend the following ingredients in a blender on high speed:
- 4 cloves of garlic, puree
- 1 jalapeo chili, seeds removed and puree
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely ground cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
Step 2. Put the marinade carne asada and 1 kg of beef or steak into a plastic clip bag
Allow the spices to soak into the meat between 1 hour and 1 day. It's just that, after 4 hours, it won't be much different anymore. Do not marinate meat for more than 1 day.
Step 3. Prepare the furnace
After the charcoal in the stove is smoldering, put the meat in it. Gently slide the charcoal to one side of the stove, creating a cooler and hotter side. You'll be using the cooler side of the stove more to cook the carne asada, then shift the meat to the hotter side for a stronger flavor and color.
Step 4. Grill the meat over charcoal to your desired doneness
Start by roasting the meat on the cooler side of the stove, covering the stove, but turning the meat frequently. Use a thermometer or press the meat with your finger to check for doneness.
- 48, 8° C = Rare
- 54, 4° C = Medium rare
- 60° C = Medium
- 65, 5°C = Medium well
- 71, 1° C = Well done
Step 5. When the meat is about 6°C different from your desired doneness level, move it to the hotter side of the stove
Take this opportunity to concentrate the color and flavor of the meat.
Step 6. When the meat is about 2°C different from your desired doneness, remove it from the stove and let it sit
The meat will continue to heat up even after it has been removed from the stove.
Don't overlook the importance of letting the meat sit for a while. If you cut it right away, the delicious liquid inside will be lost, as a result the meat will taste dry. In fact, if the meat is left for at least 5 minutes, the texture will be more tender and delicious after cutting
Step 7. For tacos, dice the carne asada and place it on top of the tortilla
Complete with onion filling and tomatillo salsa.
Method 3 of 5: Making Adobe
Step 1. Saute for a while about 90 grams of dry chilies over medium heat in a frying pan
You can use any chili, but New Mexican, Ancho, or Californian chilies are the best choices. Be sure to choose red chilies so that your adobo sauce is a bright red.
Step 2. After frying, soak the whole chili in boiling water
Use a small plate to soak the whole chilies for about 30 minutes. Save the chili soaking water.
Step 3. Put the wet and dry ingredients in a blender
Blend all of the following ingredients on high speed:
- Chilli
- 1 cup chili water
- tablespoon oregano
- tablespoon cumin
- Half an onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
Step 4. Heat the coarsely chopped beef in a large skillet over high heat until both sides are brown
Traditional adobo sauce is often served with pork shoulder, but you can also use beef or even chicken instead. Don't overcook the meat in this step, cook it all the way through in the next step.
Step 5. Once the meat has browned, pour the adobo sauce over it and heat it until the meat is cooked through
Step 6. Remove the meat from the adobo sauce and place it on top of the tortilla
Complete with onion filling, guacamole, and serve.
Method 4 of 5: Making Carnitas
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 135°C
The carnitas will cook slowly over a long period of time so they are delicious and tender.
Step 2. Cut about 1.5 kg of pork shoulder (or picnic roast) into about 5 cm cubes
Carnitas call for lean pork, however, a shoulder beef can be used.
If you like, slice wide fat strips from the pork while chopping it for a healthier carnitas. This step is not necessary, but it can make carnitas dishes healthier. If you leave the fat sheet on the cutlet, most of it will melt into the pan as it cooks, coating the carnitas and making them softer
Step 3. Put the meat pieces in a casserole dish along with some of the other ingredients
You can boil the carnitas or simply heat them on the stove. However, the level of doneness you get will be more even if the carnitas are grilled rather than grilled until they are crispy. Place the cutlets in the smallest casserole dish you have with the following ingredients:
- 1 white or yellow onion, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 bay leaves
- Juice of 1 orange with peel (cut into 4 parts)
- Salt and pepper
Step 4. Pour the liquid into the casserole dish until it completely covers the carnitas
You can use any liquid. However, be aware that if you choose to cook in oil over a lean liquid, the carnitas will be softer. Of course, this choice is unhealthy, but enjoying a delicacy like this once in a while shouldn't be a problem. Here are some liquids that you can use to soak carnitas:
- Vegetable oil
- Liquid pork fat
- Water
- Citrus juice
Step 5. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for about 3 hours
After an hour, the carnitas should have reached about 100°C, and remain at that temperature until they are finished cooking 2 hours later.
Step 6. Remove the carnitas from the casserole dish, and once they have cooled, separate them with your hands or a fork
Step 7. Preheat the grill and place the carnitas sheets on the baking sheet for a few minutes
Bake until the top layer of meat is crispy and browned.
Step 8. Stir the carnitas with a fork and brown the other side on the grill for a few minutes
If made right, your carnitas will be crunchy, but still soft and moist.
Step 9. Place the carnitas on top of the tortillas and serve
Complete with onion filling and tomatillo salsa.
Method 5 of 5: Making American Tacos
Step 1. Sauté 1 onion in a greased skillet over medium heat
It takes about 3 minutes.
Step 2. Add about 0.5 kg of minced meat (sirloin is best) to the sautéed onion and let it brown over high heat
The time required for this step is about 3-4 minutes. Separate the minced meat into small pieces using a wooden spoon.
Step 3. Add the taco seasoning to the beef stir fry, tossing until it is completely coated in the spices
Add spices according to the instructions on the packaging. Usually you are recommended to add 2 tablespoons of seasoning to every about 0.5 kg of meat. If you don't have ready-made taco seasoning, here's a recipe for condiments that you can make yourself:
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons spicy smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
Step 4. Add 2/3 cup of low-sodium beef stock to the pan
Stir until smooth and bring to a boil. Cook in an open skillet until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 5. Assemble American tacos
Start with a soft tortilla or taco shell. Use the taco mixture as a base layer, then continue with one of the following ingredients:
- Cheese
- Slices of jalapeno
- Diced tomatoes
- sour cream
- Guacamole
- Chopped cilantro
- Lettuce Slices
