Papatzul Tacos Baja Recipes

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Heat about 3 inches vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season the slaw with salt.
• Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave 25 seconds. Wrap in a towel to keep warm.
• Mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.
• Halve, pit and slice the avocado. Fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• For the Beer Batter:
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.
• For Cream Sauce:
• Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).
• For the Fish:
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.
• On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.
• *Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.
• **Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with sour cream.

PAPATZUL TACOS BAJA

Steps:

• Heat enough vegetable oil in heavy medium-size stock pot; in the meantime, season the tilapia with salt and pepper, and coat with some all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter. Once they are nicely battered, deep-fry the fillets until golden crispy (about eight to ten minutes). Combine all the ingredients for the slaw in a bowl; mix with the lime juice and the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Do this at the last minute so the cabbage remains crunchy. Warm your tortillas on a comal or a cast-iron pan, but keep them nice and soft. You can cut the fried fillets a little and start making your tacos by adding the fish on a tortilla with some of the mayo, and then top with the slaw and a little more mayo. For a perfect meal, enjoy your tacos with a Pacifico!

BAJA PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Cut roast in half; place in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Mix chiles, taco seasoning and cumin; spoon over pork. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender., Remove pork; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred meat with 2 forks. Return to slow cooker; heat through. Serve in tortillas with lettuce and cheese. Freeze option: Place cooled pork mixture in freezer containers; freeze up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, stirring gently and adding a little broth if necessary.

AUTHENTIC BAJA-MEXICAN STREET TACOS (CARNE ASADA)

Steps:

• Combine orange juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne in a large freezer bag. Submerge skirt steaks in the marinade. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate, 1 to 8 hours.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the steaks until hot and firm in the center or to your preferred doneness, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a flat work surface and slice as thinly as possible against the grain.
• Heat corn tortillas on the grill or in a microwave. Keep tortillas warm in a folded sheet of aluminum foil covered by a thick towel.
• Add steak to each tortilla and top with white onion and cilantro.

CLASSIC BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Make the Batter:.
• Combine beer, flour, salt, garlic powder, dry mustard, oregano and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds.
• Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered for 1 hour.
• Make the Sauce:.
• Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, chipotle and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Fry the Fish:.
• Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 4 quart deep heavy saucepan until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
• Put flour in pie plate or shallow dish. Dredge 10 fish strips in flour, shake off excess, then coat in batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully drop in hot oil.
• Fry, stirring, until PALE golden, 2 or 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain.
• Repeat with the remaining fish (returning oil to 350 °F between batches).
• Set pan of oil aside.
• Heat the Tortillas and Refry The Fish:.
• Wrap tortillas in stacks of 6 in foil and heat in oven until hot, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove tortillas from foil and re-wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, reheat oil until it registers 375 degrees. Refry fish strips in batches of 10, stirring, until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain again.
• To Serve:.
• Stack two corn tortillas together, top with fish, cabbage, sauce and cilantro.
• Serve with lime and salsa on the side.

ANDIE'S BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Cut each tilapia fillet into 2 strips each.
• Mix olive oil, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic paste together for marinade. Add fish strips, coat well, and set aside to soak.
• Mix tomatoes, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, garlic salt, and black pepper together in a bowl for pico de gallo.
• Mix mayonnaise and sour cream for sauce together and spoon into a zip-top bag; set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry fish strips in the hot oil until they are opaque and flaky, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest.
• Cut off a small corner from the zip-top bag and drizzle some sauce into each tortilla. Place fish onto sauce, spoon on pico de gallo, sprinkle with cabbage, and finish by piping more sauce over the top. Fold and serve.

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Pickled Red Onion:
• To make the pickled red onion, place the onion and jalapeño in a heatproof medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, lime juice and salt. Bring to the boil over high heat, stirring until the salt dissolves, then pour over the onion and jalapeño. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using. (Leftovers will keep up to 1 week in the fridge.)
• Baja Cream:
• To make the Baja cream, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest and salt in a small bowl, then taste for seasoning and lime juice.
• Baja Cabbage Slaw:
• To make the cabbage slaw, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice and Tabasco in a bowl. Toss the cabbage with the mayonnaise mixture, season to taste and refrigerate.
• Marinated Fish:
• To marinate the fish, mix the olive oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and jalapeño in a non-reactive dish. Add the fish and marinate for 20 minutes.
• When ready to cook the fish, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade, place in the hot pan and season with salt.
• Cook the fish for 4 minutes, then turn over, season again with salt and cook for another 2 minutes or until just cooked through, depending on the thickness.
• Remove the pan from the heat and flake the fish with a fork, scraping up and mixing in any marinade that has stuck to the bottom.
• Assembly:
• Heat the tortillas according to the directions on the packet. To assemble the tacos, place a heaped spoon of the fish onto the centre of a warm tortilla. Top with the pickled onion and jalapeño, Baja cream, Baja cabbage slaw and tomato salsa.