Tacos, Every Way
In Mexico a taco is a warm corn tortilla, a little meat, salsa, onion and cilantro, and there are hundreds of kinds. America fried the shell, filled it with ground beef and cheddar, and gave it a day of the week. Here is every version, step by step.
Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan)
Thin sheets of chile-and-achiote-marinated pork layered with bacon, slow-roasted into a sliceable loaf like a trompo, shaved, crisped and served with roasted pineapple, onion and cilantro.
Carnitas (Michoacán-Style Pork Tacos)
Thick slabs of pork shoulder braised in their own juices, then roasted hot until the fat renders and the edges turn golden and crisp, pulled into chunks for corn tortillas.
Quesabirria Tacos (Birria de Res with Consomé)
Beef chuck braised in a guajillo chile broth, shredded, tucked into fat-dipped corn tortillas with melted cheese, griddled crisp and dunked in a cup of the red consomé.
Tacos de Canasta (Basket Tacos)
Corn tortillas flashed through garlic-and-onion-scented oil, filled with a warm tomato, chile and fresh cheese mixture, then stacked in a towel-lined basket to steam soft.
Baja Fish Tacos (Ensenada-Style Battered Fish)
Fingers of white fish soaked briefly in salt and vinegar, dipped in a light pancake-mix batter, fried crisp and tucked into corn tortillas with creamy slaw, a fried serrano salsa and a mayo-ketchup sauce.
Sonora-Style Carne Asada Tacos
Half-inch beef steaks seasoned with nothing but salt, seared over a hot fire, chopped and piled into warm flour tortillas with refried beans, salsa and guacamole.
Hard-Shell Ground Beef Tacos (Home-Fried Shells)
The Taco Tuesday classic done properly: corn tortillas fried into U-shaped shells at home and filled with a saucy spiced ground beef, cheddar, lettuce and tomato.
San Antonio Puffy Tacos
Raw masa pressed thin and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp-chewy shell that is creased into a taco and filled with a beef and potato picadillo.
Korean BBQ Short Rib Tacos (Kalbi Tacos)
Thin-cut short ribs marinated overnight in a soy, pear, orange and sesame purée, charred on a hot grill and tucked into corn tortillas with a crunchy cabbage slaw and a chile-sesame salsa.
Texas Breakfast Tacos (Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Egg)
Parboiled potatoes crisped in rendered chorizo fat with serrano and scallion, topped with a fried egg and roasted tomato salsa in warm flour tortillas.
30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos, Inspired by Taco Bell
Finely crumbled, saucy seasoned ground beef in a crunchy corn shell with shredded iceberg and a little cheddar, the drive-thru build at home. Inspired by, not official.