I still remember the moment when I held my first homemade corn tortilla fresh off the griddle. I could feel the soft warmth permeating the tortilla and smell the comforting aroma of toasted corn. I could tell how the salsa was going to drip down and meld with the tortilla, how it was going to gently fold around the pintos borrachos and fresh avocado I had prepared. It was a promise of taco ecstasy, and that promise was about to be fulfilled. My wife still laughs about it. Evidently, my eyes glazed over for a moment as I lost myself in the possibilities of just what I could do with these new, magical tortillas. Of course, whenever I make fresh tortillas now, she always asks for some, too. We are both thralls to beautiful food.
With their succulent texture and bold flavors, It’s no wonder that tacos are the greatest food Invention of Mexico and that country’s greatest culinary ambassador to the world. They can be as simple as a tortilla filled with beans and salsa or as complex as the multi-component tacos de canasta. They are eminently versatile. Anything that can be folded into a tortilla can be turned into a taco and probably has been. It’s another reason why tacos are so popular. There are well over a hundred classic, regional tacos, a host of non-Mexican regional tacos, and far, far more that are spontaneous creations. There is, I like to think, a taco out there for everyone.
You can see that diversity reflected in this book just by looking at the different styles of tacos that are included. It is by no means an exhaustive list. How can it be? The story of tacos is the story of Mexico-vast and a little chaotic, but with certain themes that tie it all together. For tacos, that theme is tortillas folded around bold ingredients, a handheld meal, and a lively soulfulness. If you’re enjoying all those elements, you have a true taco.
How the Recipe Chapters Are Organized
I divided the tacos in this book mainly by cooking technique, though a few sets are based around when the tacos are eaten rather than how they are prepared. I also listed the recipe names in Spanish. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, you’ll know what they are and who knows, maybe learn a little Español along the way!
First, we have some foundation recipes and ingredients that will help you build better tacos. They are core ingredients, like spice mixes, mojo de ajo, homemade chorizo, achiote paste, and other similar goods. Most of these can be purchased at a store, but a few should be made at home. Following that are the taco chapters, which break down as follows:
Tacos de Asador: Perhaps my favorite style of taco, these are tacos where the filling has been cooked over an open flame on a wood-fire grill. Smoky, a little charred, and perfect for long summer days and cool winter nights.
Tacos de Guisado: Guisados are stews and tacos de guisado represent the most diverse category of tacos. These are tacos with stewed fillings, typically served in clay cazuelas dishes at taquerías. They are easy to make and can be made in large batches. In a way, guisados represent the best of Mexican homestyle cooking.
Tacos de Comal: These are tacos where the filling is cooked on a comal, which is really just a flat pan. Think of them as tacos with sautéed fillings.
Tacos Dorados: These tacos are rolled closed and fried to a crispy golden color, hence the name. You’ve probably seen them under the names taquitos or flautas.
Tacos de Canasta: Tacos de canasta are the classic breakfast taco in Mexico. Carried around in baskets, from which their name derives, these tacos are suffused with a sauce and steamed by closing up the basket. In a way, they are the “slider” version of tacos.
Los Otros Tacos: This just means “the other tacos.” These are the tacos that don’t quite fit into one of our categories. Some of them, like the tacos de mixiote and carnitas are categories unto themselves, but since we only have one version of each, it made more sense to place them here.
Tacos Mañaneros: Additional breakfast tacos. Some of these are more of a Texas invention, while the tacos with chiles rellenos and quelites (edible field greens) are less common authentic Mexican breakfast tacos.
Tacos Dulces: Dessert tacos. These run the gamut of complexity from ultra-simple to fancy gourmet, but all are uniformly sweet and tasty. Unlike other tacos, which are usually served in twos or threes, these are meant to be a decadent finish to a meal, so one of them should do.
Fusion Tacos: These tacos are an obvious melding of one culture’s food with Mexican cuisine. Although many of these are tacos found outside of Mexico, some are tacos in which Mexican cooks have incorporated other culture’s dishes, like with the Tacos Tempura. Fusion tacos are the result of creative taqueros (taco makers) around the world.
When I wander into the markets of Mexico, or even to the small markets of U.S. border towns, it is not the colorful sights or the passionate buzz of the crowd that captivates me, it’s the heady aroma of corn and chiles and smoke. When I smell that combination, I know a taco is waiting for me somewhere around the corner. I fell in love with that experience, and I ended up bringing it into both my professional kitchen, home kitchen, and this book. Tacos inspire me. I hope they inspire you, too.