Hold Your Fork Presents: TACO NIGHT
In order to properly end the Hold Your Fork Taco Hunt, we had to do our best to make the “best tacos” that included us making tortillas, carnitas, salsas, and horchata. I am going to say this now … making good tacos is not easy.
Why are we cooking tacos? Good question. We spent the last month or so giving our opinions and thoughts on other people's cooking. In order for us and for you (the reader) to appreciate all of the tacos shops, the “good” and the “not so good”, we had to make tacos ourselves.
For Bryan’s family and most Mexican families, the making of tortillas and tacos is more than just the food. It is about bringing friends and family together. That is pretty damn beautiful if you ask me.
Our taco night was full of friends coming by and helping us make tortillas (or fail at doing so) they helped us grill some veggies … we also had some friends just show up and eat and drink with us. AIN’T NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
Here you have it, Bryan Suarez taco night recipes:
Ingredients Needed:
Guero Chilis
3 bunches of Cilantro
2 heads of Garlic
2 Red Onion
3 spring onions
Bag of corn masa
Roma Tomatoes
Dried Arbol
Dried Anaheim
Charcoal
Tomatillos
Oranges (approx. 5)
Mexican Coke
Lard
Sea salt
3 lbs of pork butt
24 pack of cheap beer (We kept it local with Arizona Light from Huss)
Tools needed:
Blender
Big cast iron stock pot
Tortilla press
Grill
Tongs
Plastic/ parchment for the tortilla press
Step-by-step:
Carnitas
3 lbs skin on, bone in pork butt
5 oranges (sliced thin)
1 bottle Mexican Coke
Lard from Arcadia Meat Market
7 Garlic Cloves
Step 1:
Brine meat overnight or for a couple of hours in salt water.
Step 2:
Rub the pork butt intimately with the lard, real nice and slow, grease all it of up.
Step 3:
Place the meat in a deep cast iron pot. Low and slow no lid (LOW HEAT)... Once the meat is in the pot and browned add the orange slices and garlic cloves.
Step 3.5:
Go make everything else (salsas, tortillas, horchata)
Step 4:
After 4 hours add a generous splash of coke and take a sip too, you deserve it.
Step 5:
Wait until meat is tender (approx. 5-7 hours) remove the bones
Step 6:
Cut and serve.
Ranchero Salsa
(Inspired with techniques both my Abuela uses and Enrique Olivera from his book “Tu Casa, Mi Casa”)
10 Roma tomatoes
(red heirloom if you have them)
1 onion quartered
2 spring onions
3 Fresh Guero Chile’s
Hand full each of dried Anaheim and Arbol Chile
Bunch of cilantro
Sea salt
Step 1:
Roast tomatoes whole, onions and fresh Chile’s till charred and soft in a cast iron.
Step 2:
Take ingredients to a blender and add everything you’ve just charred even the Chile’s and don’t take the stems off.
Step 3:
Add cilantro, salt, and dried Chile’s.
Step 4:
Blend and add water to reach desired consistency.
Tomatillo salsa
8 Roasted tomatillos
3 Anaheim roasted Chile’s
1/2 onion
Cilantro
Salt
Step 1:
Sear all ingredients (not the cilantro) in a cast iron or grill
Step 2:
Put seared ingredients in a pot with water and simmer. Add 2-3 un seared tomatillos as well.
Step 3:
Once the “unseared” tomatillos change color, strain the ingredients and add to a blender/food processor.
Step 4:
Remove from blender, and shove it in your mouth, or put it on tacos, or eggs. Whatever suits your fancy.
Tortillas
Step 1:
Buy the corn masa mix from Ranch Market.
Step 2:
Hand make small discs
Step 3:
Use tortilla press (DON'T PUSH TOO HARD) Remove gently, cook or cover immediately.
IF THE MASA DRIES OUT IT WILL MAKE THIS INCREDIBLY HARD, DO THIS RIGHT BEFORE YOU ARE READY TO EAT.
Horchata
We got this recipe straight outta “Tu Casa, Mi Casa” so thank you chef Enrique for this.
Buy his book here.
1 cup Cashews
1 cup of brown rice
½ cinnamon stick
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cups of water
For garnish
1 cantaloupe
4 cups of pecans
***YOU JUST TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE THIS, this makes about two glasses.
Step 1:
Add the cashews, rice, cinnamon, and sugar in a LARGE DEEP container. Cover. Put in the fridge overnight (minimum 8 hours)
Step 2:
Put all of the ingredients into a blender. Strain that shit. Pour that shit.
Step 3:
Dice the melon and pecans put this on top, got this lil trick from Atoyac (Taco hunt pt. one)
Step 5:
Drank that.