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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 11, 2011 18:36:32 GMT
Okay, that does it, Don Cuevas ~~ I demand a house swap! I absolutely must get back to Patzcuaro & hit those little stainless steel stations of heaven again. I've made fish & potato tacos at home, but am dying to try the platonic version in your photo. Let's do some glossary work here. I'll put in what I can, then DonC can fill in the gaps. 1. Nacho -- nickname for Ignacio. Nachos the food (if we want to grace it with that name) is a complete import in this part of Mexico, and only found at franchises in some shopping malls. I don't know if it's a Mexican thing or not, or a US invention. Suspect the latter. 2. "bistek, chorizo, tripas, and cabeza" -- Bistek is probably beef in this context, but can also refer to a certain thin way of cutting any meat, including pork & chicken. Chorizo is not like Spanish chorizo, but a raw, not cured mix of minced pork and spices. Tripas = chitterlings. Cabeza is head, specifically beef head when used for tacos, although I might need correcting on that. 3. Antojitos -- literally, a little whim, desire, or craving, which is appropriate for what these immediately become when you pass a place where they're being prepared. 4. This is where we wade in deep water: tlacoyos, quesadillas, sopes and huaraches. Quesadillas are tacos containing cheese that are heated after being filled. Tlacoyos -?- Are they the little packages next to the wonderful squash flower sunburst? Don't know them at all. Sopes are called memelas here. They're discs or oblongs of corn masa with the edges slightly crimped up to hold fillings. They're filled, then heated on the comal (griddle). Huaraches may or may not be what I know as tlayudas -- huge tortillas heated on the comal and topped with a great variety of things, beans, meat, etc. The particular tortillas used for this are also called tlayudas. Don Cuevas, you've surpassed yourself with these fantastic pictures. I'm really studying them & learning. The photo link/slideshow is great -- thanks! Can't wait to show that to my sister, who went with me to Guanajuato. However none of the photos in #25 will open -- they're "forbidden" Mick: ;D
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Post by fumobici on Nov 11, 2011 19:25:45 GMT
Can't wait to show that to my sister, who went with me to Guanajuato. However none of the photos in #25 will open -- they're "forbidden" Mick: ;D Sorry, only men are allowed to see those. Orders from on high you see.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2011 19:59:29 GMT
I almost bought some flour tortillas at the supermarket tonight and now I'm glad it didn't, because these photos totally inspire me but I do not have any of the proper fillings on hand.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 12, 2011 0:26:29 GMT
I'll have to download the Pbase antojitos photos and reupload them to Picasa Web Albums. There's a free Internet service, Upload Junction, that does it, but for some reason, it didn't work for me. And it's an "all or nothing" proposition.
Anyway, this morning I had 5 tacos de birria de borrego (steamed spiced mutton) and a little cup of the consomé or broth produced in the steaming. The tacos were o.k but nothing special. The consomé was infernally picante.
I have much work ahead of me. Hasta luego.
EDIT: Aha! I have most of this on my hard drives, although it's scattered. I can start uploading them in the a.m.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 12, 2011 4:03:29 GMT
hee hee Fumobici. Forbidden tacos -- the mind boggles. Funny you should say that, Kerouac, because I was already planning to talk a little about making tacos at home. The basics are covered in this OP, but there are some crucial tortilla heating tips that should be mentioned. If possible, heat the tortillas on an open flame, but if not, try a dry griddle or skillet on your electric stove. Use high heat & work quickly. Heating them slowly will dry them out too much. Tortillas have a panza (stomach) and an espalda (back). The reason this is important is because the panza is much thinner and the espalda much sturdier. You want to always put the fillings on the panza side. That way, the tortilla will bend & not break. Heat on the espalda first, then flip it to the panza and heat that side. The way you can tell one side from another with a corn tortilla is that the thin front side will puff or bubble slightly when heated & you'll see it's sort of a skin on the heavier back portion. The back part will be smoother and sturdier. It's sometimes harder to tell with flour tortillas. The puffs or bubbles are full of steam, so be careful not to get burned. As for authenticity, try some pork belly chopped up -- it should mimic carnitas nicely. Then all you need is some lime juice, chopped onions & cilantro & some salsa to have a taste of Mexico at home. Roast chicken works, too, as would some chopped up steak.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 12, 2011 8:47:20 GMT
Hereabouts, the tortillas for tacos are heated by lightly dipping them in the accumulated grease of the sárten in which the meats are being cooked. Most taco tortillas are very small, and are almost invariably doubled so the contents don't break through. I'm imagining char sui served as a taco. Why not? Or Beijing Duck, with Hoisin Sauce and scallion slivers. This implies that at least some Chinese food was developed by Mexicans. What is a po ping (Chinese "crepe") but a sort of tortilla? ;D Char siu The subject of taco accompaniments, besides salsas and condiments, should be discussed soon. (I'm thinking of those little "roasted" potatoes, but especially, the cebollitas asadas, among our favorites.) The repurposed, missing photos have uploaded. I'll be back in a few minutes.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 12, 2011 8:55:16 GMT
O.k. More Tacolandia photos. Tacos "Martini". a temporary stand during a feria in Pátzcuaro For the truly hungry; a taco stand in a field at a country wedding in Michoacán. Some really good tacos at a Fiesta Latina in Little Rock, AR. Tacos al Pastor with cheese at Hamburguesas Richard's, Morelia More to come...
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 12, 2011 9:01:44 GMT
Antojitos continued... Tacos al Pastor at Tacos Xotepingo, Av. Balderas, Centro, Mexico, D.F. Fancy Tacos Mineros of chicharrón, at La Mesa de Blanca, Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán. Taco de Cecina Adobada at Taquitos Frontera, Colonia Roma Norte, México, DF. Enough for now. Coming: quesadillas, tlacoyos, sopes/memelas, tacos Árabes, ad infinitum.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2011 9:05:46 GMT
Let me go get some Tums so that I can keep up with this.
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Post by imec on Nov 13, 2011 15:31:36 GMT
This is some of the most compelling food I have seen in a while. One (at least) of each please!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 13, 2011 15:45:36 GMT
I have to rest from my taco labors today. Mainly, I have to check twice to see which worthy taco pics have made it to here succesfully.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 13, 2011 15:47:19 GMT
Absolutely wonderful photos, Don Cuevas, and super informative in demonstrating the amazing variety in tacos & the infinite resourcefulness of Mexican portable cooking. I'm going to interject some background on tacos al pastor here ~~ "Al pastor" means "shepherd style", a reference to the spitted meat cooking method brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. It was based on spitted lamb, thus the shepherd in the name. In the northern part of Mexico, the same cooking method is called "al trompo", after the word for a spinning top. I am almost positive that the marinade is the same as that for Oaxacan style pork cecina, but would be happy for a correction. The basics are guajillo chiles, oregano, vinegar, garlic, s&p, cloves & cinnamon. As you can see in the picture on the left of the still uncooked meat, it's stacked on the spit which rotates in front of the heat source. As the outer portion cooks, it's sliced off. Pineapple slices or hunks are either interspersed or set on top of the stack to further flavor the cooking meat. Bits of pineapple are part of tacos al pastor or gringas -- the same tacos served on wheat tortillas along with cheese. Below on the right is the spit with the cooked meat, where you can see the cooking element and the shape of the stacked meat now that it's in the process of being shaved off.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 13, 2011 18:28:43 GMT
I was thinking that the carne pastor marinade would have achiote in it. (Sound familiar, Bixa?) I suspect that the marinade ingredients vary a lot from place to place and from taquería to taquería. Our favorite butcher prepares carne pastor for taquerías. I also bet know that there's a premix. Just mix with water and vinegar. Here's the lowdown on the Authentic (they say) Tacos Al Pastor. cein.inaoep.mx/panchon/index.php?topic=71.0
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 13, 2011 18:40:43 GMT
*fluffs hair*
Yeah, I'll bet you're right about the achiote/annato. There is some subtle difference in taste between cecina Oaxaqueña and al pastor meat. I don't know that the marinades for al pastor vary hugely, though, as they all tend to stay within the flavor family. I saw one recipe that called for pineapple juice, which sounds like a great idea, both for taste & tenderness.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 14, 2011 7:36:52 GMT
I had two burritos yesterday but forgot to take pics. Is it correct that an enchilada is half a burrito?
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 14, 2011 10:04:33 GMT
Um, actually, no, HW. A burrito is kind of a taco but rolled up in a flour tortilla and usually much more filling material than a taco has. An enchilada is a corn (maíz) tortilla dipped in cooked chile sauce, often filled but not always (typically shredded chicken of white cheese), folded or rolled. The authentic Mexican variety may be sprinkled with queso fresco and a few rings of raw onion, and less often a drizzle of crema, but never rarely baked under heaps of yellow cheese and never garnished with sour cream. There are subsets of enchilada like dishes. Enmoladas is where the tortillas are dipped in mole instead of chile salsa; enfrijoladas are dipped in thin, pureed beans; entomatadas in tomato sauce, possibly enriched with crema. The extreme of the later are enjococadas (which we did not try), tortillas dipped in thickened yogurt or jocoque enlivened with some tomato puree. We were told that they are non picante. Similarly very rich, non picante are Enchiladas Suizas, tortillas dipped in salsa verde and usually filled with shredded chicken, and yes, covered with cheese. This one is a vegetarian version, filled with potatoes. This next Enchiladas Suizas are an unusual folded variety, beautifully presented at El Gorjeo de Las Aves, an upscale, idyllic breakfast restaurant. I don't count enchiladas and their relatives as antojitos, because they require a plate and at least a fork to eat. I have pictures of most of these varieties scattered about various places. Enmoladas at El Gorjeo de Las Aves, Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán. Below, a more typical plate of enmoladas, this one at a fonda in the 20 de Noviembre Mercado in Oaxaca. The mole is negro, the filling was chicken, and overall, they were just fair. Enfrijoladas, photo by Michael Natkin Another, great photo of Enfrijoladas con Tasajo, a Oaxacan dried beef specialty, this one by Milky RB is copyrighted. Bixa can tell you more about tasajo and cecina, which are not really part of the antojitos repertoire. Enchiladas Rojas típicas, filled with chicken, probably at Restaurante El Camino Real, Pátzcuaro. Finally, the classic Michoacán style Enchiladas Placeras, dipped in salsa roja, which have almost no filling but a little cheese, served with chicken and potatoes and carrots on the side, and garnished with salad and queso fresco and crema. Bixa was writing about these recently. The following example was in a pleasant restaurant in Morelia, El Rincón de Allende, but they are very popular as night time food under the lanterns about the Plaza Chica in Pátzcuaro and they are to be found elsewhere in Central Mexico.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 14, 2011 10:11:16 GMT
This thread has wandered far from tacos and I want to return to hand held snacks based on nixtamalized masa, including tacos, but also huaraches, memelas, sopes and tlacoyos.
But not just now. I need to rest after my enchiladas labors.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 14, 2011 10:32:40 GMT
Thanks heaps, Don C!
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Post by mickthecactus on Nov 14, 2011 13:36:45 GMT
...Below on the right is the spit with the cooked meat, where you can see the cooking element and the shape of the stacked meat now that it's in the process of being shaved off. Looks exactly like my local Turkish kebab shop....
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 14, 2011 15:34:25 GMT
Yes, and in some cities, you can get Tacos Árabes. Almost the same as pastor but less zip.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 15, 2011 16:57:14 GMT
Wow -- thanks for that "wandering", Don Cuevas. Just to add a minor regional note, the enchiladas/entomatadas/enfrijoladas/enmoladas in Oaxaca are folded twice, into a triangle shape. I think it's because tortillas here tend to be bigger than in other places.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 16, 2011 8:34:38 GMT
I have to say that I don't eat these foods very often. If I said it were once every two months, I'd be exaggerating.
Also, from what I've seen tacos al pastor are relatively scarce in Pátzcuaro. What are seen a lot are tacos de cabeza. It's a variant of barbacoa or birria. Morsels of steam baked cow's heads. It's a good thing it doesn't look anything like a cow's head when it's served. They can be succulently delicious or greasy. One place to get these is in the Explanada (entry area) del Mercado in Pátzcuaro, on the left as you enter from Plaza Chica. Street and mercado foods in Pátzcuaro are big on steamy, soupy foods. It must be a result of the cooler, higher altitude climate.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 16, 2011 9:36:05 GMT
I'm going to post a pic tomorrow and you guess what it's supposed to be.
Don, in which province do you live?
A guy on the other board says you info is largely correct but probably 100% correct only for a specific area. He's a smart fellow.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 16, 2011 12:50:55 GMT
I'm going to post a pic tomorrow and you guess what it's supposed to be. Don, in which province do you live? A guy on the other board says you info is largely correct but probably 100% correct only for a specific area. He's a smart fellow. HW, we live in central Michoacán, near Pátzcuaro. Th guy on the other board (which board?) is correct. Mexican food tends to be regionally distinct, although some cherished dishes are held on common.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 16, 2011 14:03:27 GMT
FLASH! This, just in: thanks to DiningDiva, on Chowhound.com, the video on tacos al pastor. (Narrated in rapidly spoken Spanish.)
Pay close attention to the swift move of the taquero's knife as he slices a sliver of pineapple for each taco.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 16, 2011 18:14:59 GMT
I'm going to post a pic tomorrow and you guess what it's supposed to be. Don, in which province do you live? A guy on the other board says you info is largely correct but probably 100% correct only for a specific area. He's a smart fellow. Ha! HW is going to add an interesting wrinkle to this thread! For the record, Mexico has states, not provinces. Also for the record, Don Cuevas is about as accurate as any one person can be. Much of his knowledge is more far-ranging than that of many Mexicans. As a real-life example, many Oaxaqueños will tell you there is no such thing as a chichilo tamal. (chichilo is a type of mole) However, that particular tamal is a commonplace specialty of Xoxo, which is effectively a suburb of Oaxaca. This should give some idea of the immense variety in the food of the country. There's also much variety in terminology. Tacos al pastor are called tacos de trompo in the northern part of the country. Tacos de cabeza are tacos de cachete (cheek) on the Mexican border with Texas. Great video, DonC. Yeah, the guy is a motormouth & also uses more borderline Spanglish than I'm used to anymore: display, cachar. You caught that right at the beginning he says that achiote is used in the seasoning? Also, further in he points out that the taqueria in the video typically serves 1300 people in a night! And back to tacos de cachete ....... They were a huge item every Sunday on both sides of the border where I lived in coastal Texas. I did not care for them at all, including the tallowy smell of them. Years later, a couple I know took me to what they claimed was an exceptionally good taco stand. He was the meat man in Oaxaca ( I posted his obituary at the end of this thread.), so I happily went along. When we got there, I wanted to back pedal, as it was a tacos de cabeza stand. To my surprise, they were really delicious. One final note, I just found what I think may become a favorite food blog for me. Posting from London (!), he gives excellent directions for creating an awfully authentic version of tacos de cachete at home: www.kabulawayo.co.uk/2009/11/tacos-de-cachete.html
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 17, 2011 6:20:22 GMT
Thanks, again. I'm sufficiently armed with info now!
Didn't have the new special last night. Instead had tacos again. They're always good there.
This time one with al pastor, one with smoked chicken and one fish.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 17, 2011 10:25:42 GMT
Let's move on to quesadillas and tlacoyos and their brethren. A quesadilla is a fresh tortilla folded over a basic white cheese (eg, Quesillo de Oaxaca) filling and cooked on a comal or hot griddle, but sometimes fried as is popular in the Pátzcuaro mercado's quesadilla stands. (I've tried only one, Quesadillas Montse's, but I ought to go back and take pics. Not content with merely cheese filling, numerous other ingredients have been added, among them shredded chicken, rajas de chile Poblano (strips of roasted and peeled green chile Poblano), nopales (de-spined prickly pear pads cut into thin strips); chicharrón (fried pork skins), and that ubiquitous and boring invader, but very popular, salchichas (hot dogs sliced into strips). In the Pátzcuaro mercado the quesadillas are served heaped with shredded lettuce, something I'd avoid, not knowing if or how it was washed or even disinfected; and a thin but tasty yellow salsa of chile manzano. If I recall correctly, there's the obligatory dressing of a drizzle of crema. Overall, I prefer quesadillas and relatives cooked on a comal. Those made of blue corn have the edge, in my preferences. I don't have any pics yet of the fried quesadillas, because I try to stay away from fried foods. I was in that area of the Pátzcuaro mercado a few days ago, and the unappealing smell of cooking oil fumes was heavy in the air. Below is an older pic of an excellent quesadila stand in Mexico City's Colonia Roma. Quesadilla stand, corner of Calle Manzanillo and Tlaxcala. I think you have already seen these very characterful quesadillas of blue corn masa. They are also in Colonia Roma Norte, México, DF but a mile or so north of the previous site: the corner of Calle Puebla and Calle Orizaba. This is about 2 1/2 blocks from the Metro Insurgentes Station. The fillings are outstanding, and in the case of the similar but differently shaped tlacoyos (oval closed masa envelopes filled often with mashed beans, faba bean mash, potatoes, cheese, or whatever; then topped with quelites or cooked greens or other possible toppings). At $12 pesos each, part of a balanced, quick meal. Below, some of the fillings, toppings and salsas at the aforementioned Quesadillas y Tlacoyos Gloria's. The toppings such as quelites are reheated directly on the comal before ending up on the tlacoyo.
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Post by imec on Nov 17, 2011 13:13:16 GMT
I need to go on "The Ultimate Taco Tour"!
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 17, 2011 14:19:42 GMT
imec, an acquaintance of ours, Lesley Tellez, leads Taco Tours in Mexico City. They are not cheap. www.eatmexico.com/
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