The obsession was growing already, but a recent trip to San Francisco and it’s awesome Mission District has sealed my love for “proper” mexican food, and particularly tacos. So I have been experimenting with different fillings and toppings, and wanted to keep track of them on this page. There’s absolutely no point doing this unless you make your own tortillas, in which case you just need a tortilla press (cast iron are good) and some masa harina.
Meats
Pork carnitas — as more than adequately explained by Lap on this page here.
Cochinita pibil — good page on Helen Graves’ blog here (http://helengraves.co.uk/2011/11/pork-knuckle-pibil/)
Carne asada — trying this one out today, http://norecipes.com/blog/carne-asada-recipe/
Guajillo braised short ribs — a la http://singleguycooks.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/braised-short-rib-tacos.html – I did this in the pressure cooker for speed
Smoked Texan beef clod — something Lap has tried
Grilled lobster — and why not!
Salsa
Pico de gallo – tomatoes, onions, coriander, lime, sugar, salt
Pickled pink onions – red onions, lime juice, salt
Pineapple salsa – tomatoes, pineapple, coriander, cucumber, lime, sugar, salt
Scotch bonnets and orange juice — http://helengraves.co.uk/2011/11/pork-knuckle-pibil/
Guacamole (of course) — avocado, salt, olive oil, minced garlic, red onion, salt. Diana Kennedy rather controversially eschews lime juice here.
Roasted tomato salsa — http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/smoked-pork-with-black-beans-roasted.html or http://helengraves.co.uk/2010/06/mexican-wave/
You know the skirt steak and lobster combo we had the other day really worked. I’d always thought that the whole surf n turf meme was just another greedy Americanism. I’ve tried it before; prime cut steak and half a grilled lobster or king prawns but it was difficult getting those things to blend. However a taco filled with a couple of pieces of soft lobster claw meat, strips of rare fajita, guac, salsa and dressed with lime and coriander was a beautiful revelation.
Try this blog for yummy texmex/mexican dishes (lots of tacos on the list!) http://homesicktexan.blogspot.co.uk/p/recipe-index.html
Thanks for bringing so many Birmingham gems to my attention!