It's is hard to pin down what is great about a great taco. Is itthe succulent, smoky carne asada? The tender, charred hand-madetortilla? The sweet, ripe, spicy brightness of pico de gallo? Morelikely it's the way all those things come together.
You can find such taco greatness at restaurants, corner taqueriasand taco trucks with cult followings. But the best tacos in the worldmight come out of your own kitchen.
Imagine a warm corn tortilla filled with thinly sliced, pan-seared duck breast, tomatillo sauce and a cherry-chile compote. Orgrilled lamb sausage with watercress and harissa. Or achiote-marinated yellowtail with shredded cabbage and chipotle mayonnaise.
Leave classics like tacos de barbacoa, carnitas and al pastor toyour favorite neighborhood taco truck. When you're inventing them athome, you can let your imagination take the wheel.
A terrific taco is about mouth-feel as well as flavor. There areno set rules about what goes into a taco; they're more aboutimprovisation, maybe a happy accident, some smart calibration. A hotrush of habanero chiles, then a cool tempering of creme fraiche orwatermelon salsa. The rich succulence of leftover wine-braised shortribs, then a bright, fresh celery-leaf salsa. A little crunch, alittle heat, a sudden burst of flavor. A well-orchestrated tacoshould seem like a sudden inspiration of flavors that coalesce at thevery last moment.
Start with a good tortilla as the foundation. Fresh, handmade corntortillas, from a local source or ones that you make yourself (it'seasier than you think), can make the difference between ordinary andextraordinary. Quickly heat them in a dry skillet or right on the gasburner or outside on the grill.
Although flour tortillas can be amazing vehicles if they'refreshly made (they're traditionally used in tacos in Sonora, Mexico),the richer flavor and rougher texture of a corn tortilla elevate thedish. Corn's subtle dimension is a terrific backdrop for otheringredients: Shrimp works beautifully with it, as does grilled fish;cherries and corn are unexpectedly wonderful together.
Use the best ingredients, considering how their flavors will worktogether. The classic taco combos work because they rely on balance.The deep flavor of cochinita pibil (pork slow-roasted in bananaleaves) contrasts with the tart note of pickled red onions. Thewonderful char of carne asada is offset by the fresh, bright flavorsof pico de gallo. Grilled wild salmon rocks with a spicy cucumber-serrano salsa verde or a garlicky aioli.
A contrast of texture and temperature is important too. The coolcrunch of shredded raw jicama plays deliciously against fat shrimp,still warm from a simmer in a rich, nutty pepita-cilantro sauce, justas the hot fried fish in a Baja-style taco gets cold crunch from rawcabbage as well as the reprieve of cool, luscious crema.
And all of it against the warm tortilla that envelops it -slightly chewy, redolent of the corn that adds yet another dimension.
Tacos don't necessarily have to be built from the ground up - youcan use last night's grilled tri-tip or leg of lamb, or leftoverdirty rice and beans. Even ratatouille. Just think of what would takethose tacos to the next level. Grilled chorizo with that ratatouille,for example, or mint pesto and julienned radishes with those thinslices of leg of lamb.
Pile tortillas high with the leftovers from a fantastic daube orroast chicken, then mix up a quick salsa from the greens in yourgarden and the heirloom tomatoes now loading market stalls. Doctor ajar of mayonnaise or some sour cream, or add a squeeze of lime orMeyer lemon.
The jolt and fire of one ingredient aligns with the cool notes ofanother, giving a balance but also creating quadrants of flavor. Asthe heat of chiles often operates on a kind of time release, theother ingredients you pair with them create layers of tastes andaftertastes. A cool dice of mangoes or grilled corn cut off the cobstretches out the fire of a serrano as it tempers it. A spoonful ofsour cream can then offer both contrast and reprieve.
Serve and eat your haute tacos right as they come off the griddleand out of the kitchen - they're immediate food, and the alliance oftextures and temperatures are ephemeral.
Speed counts more than manners. The best tacos demand to be eatenbite by bite, with no more utensils than your hands. You fold thelast nub of sauced tortilla into your mouth, brazenly lick aioli fromyour fingers, wipe errant chile sauce from your chin.
Had enough already? We didn't think so. Just grab another - thepossibilities are endless.
Shrimp Tacos with Pumpkin Seed Sauce
1 bunch cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds 2Tbsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 serranochile, seeded and inner ribs removed 1 jalapeno chile, seeded andinner ribs removed 1/4 large jicama, peeled 1 pound medium rawshrimp, peeled and deveined 8 small corn tortillas Lime wedges
Cook's note:If you would like a spicier pumpkin seed sauce, doublethe amount of chiles. Finely chop about 1/3 of the cilantro to yield2 tablespoons, setting aside the rest. In a small bowl, mix thechopped cilantro with the sour cream and set aside. In a medium sautepan over medium heat, toast pumpkin seeds until they pop and turnslightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes; do not let them brown. Set asidebriefly to allow to cool. In a food processor or blender, place thepumpkin seeds, olive oil, garlic, salt, chiles, remaining cilantroand 1/2 cup of water. Blend to a smooth paste. Return the mixture tothe saute pan, add 1/2 cup water and cook over low heat for about 20minutes to develop the flavors. Stir frequently to make sure thesauce doesn't burn and add more water if the sauce thickens too muchor too quickly. Meanwhile, shred the jicama using a box grater.Refrigerate until needed. Increase heat to medium-high and addshrimp. Cover and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes,stirring and turning the shrimp occasionally for even cooking. Placea skillet or griddle over medium heat and warm the tortillas. Arrange2 tortillas per plate, slightly overlapping. Divide the shrimp amongthe tortillas, add shredded jicama and 1 spoonful of cilantro sourcream. Serve immediately, with lime wedges. Total time: About 50minutes. Servings: 4.
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