Re: Pancho's
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:09 am
Thanks Isabella, I might do that if I can get off work long enough.
I came back to read what I wrote yesterday and I realized that writing a recipe for the first time is not that easy, especially after we had a couple of Saturday Bloody Mary's, ha.
So, let me clarify some things--
1) I was wrong to say there is no such thing as crisp tacos--there is--but not crumbling, cracking, shattering crisp like Taco Bell. Those are prefab taco shells made for convenience. Frying your own shells will take some practice, but it is not brain surgery and you will quickly get the hang of it so you can find the texture that is right for you. Remember, they are supposed to be greaseless, so if they are greasy after they've cooled for a minute, then you are frying at too low heat.
Try it this way--slide a tortilla into the oil flat, if the oil is hot enough, the tortilla will puff up. Turn the whole thing over quickly, then lay one fork in the middle, to hold the crease, and use the other fork to lift an edge-over the other fork and make the fold. Hold it maybe five seconds, then tilt it so the other half of the now folded taco shell is immersed in the oil, and hold it down in the oil for another five seconds. It doesn't take long at all if the oil is hot enough, and you will be able to feel the texture holding the shape.
Stand the shells upside down on a paper towel to drain and cool. Best if eaten immediately after cooling--one minute or so.
Don't be afraid to discard the first few practice tortillas.
2) Add some onion to the meat when browning, just not too much because you have onion in the salad.
3) Two tablespoons of meat per taco is about right, then fill with salad. The uniqueness of these tacos lies in the sweet and sour salad, contrasting with the spicy meat filling--so you have to find the correct balance between the two. Don't be afraid to make the meat filling spicy, because the salad will counter balance--that is the whole idea(l).
If any of you get into this Mexican cooking, I will give you some more recipes for the staples like refried beans, rice, and my world famous Guacamole. If you can learn to cook those staples, along with some homemade French Fries, then all you need to is to learn a few basic meat dishes and you have a whole new repertoire.
I came back to read what I wrote yesterday and I realized that writing a recipe for the first time is not that easy, especially after we had a couple of Saturday Bloody Mary's, ha.
So, let me clarify some things--
1) I was wrong to say there is no such thing as crisp tacos--there is--but not crumbling, cracking, shattering crisp like Taco Bell. Those are prefab taco shells made for convenience. Frying your own shells will take some practice, but it is not brain surgery and you will quickly get the hang of it so you can find the texture that is right for you. Remember, they are supposed to be greaseless, so if they are greasy after they've cooled for a minute, then you are frying at too low heat.
Try it this way--slide a tortilla into the oil flat, if the oil is hot enough, the tortilla will puff up. Turn the whole thing over quickly, then lay one fork in the middle, to hold the crease, and use the other fork to lift an edge-over the other fork and make the fold. Hold it maybe five seconds, then tilt it so the other half of the now folded taco shell is immersed in the oil, and hold it down in the oil for another five seconds. It doesn't take long at all if the oil is hot enough, and you will be able to feel the texture holding the shape.
Stand the shells upside down on a paper towel to drain and cool. Best if eaten immediately after cooling--one minute or so.
Don't be afraid to discard the first few practice tortillas.
2) Add some onion to the meat when browning, just not too much because you have onion in the salad.
3) Two tablespoons of meat per taco is about right, then fill with salad. The uniqueness of these tacos lies in the sweet and sour salad, contrasting with the spicy meat filling--so you have to find the correct balance between the two. Don't be afraid to make the meat filling spicy, because the salad will counter balance--that is the whole idea(l).
If any of you get into this Mexican cooking, I will give you some more recipes for the staples like refried beans, rice, and my world famous Guacamole. If you can learn to cook those staples, along with some homemade French Fries, then all you need to is to learn a few basic meat dishes and you have a whole new repertoire.