Sonoran Tacos Recipes

SONORAN-STYLE CARNE ASADA TACOS

Steps:

• Mix chopped cilantro and diced onion together.
• Place tomatillos, chopped onion, serrano, jalapeño and avocado in blender. Pulse until smooth and creamy, can adjust consistency by adding water.
• On a barbecue, gas stove or under an oven broiler, char the Roma tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, jalapeños and onion until softened and a dark charred exterior forms. Cooking times will vary.
• In a blender, add chipotle peppers, jalapeños, serrano chilies, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, cumin seed, coriander seed and brown sugar. Blend until smooth sauce has formed, roughly 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder until fully incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir mixture while slowly streaming in melted lard. Continue to mix and then slowly stream in hot tap water. Allow dough to come together and then turn out dough onto counter. Knead for 2 to 4 minutes, dough should be slightly wet and shiny. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Char scallions on barbecue or cast iron until blistered and soft.
• Add cilantro and pulse again. Adjust seasoning with salt.
• Cut Roma tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, jalapeños and onion into rough 1-inch chunks and toss into blender.
• In a ziplock bag or medium sized bowl, pour in half of the marinade and toss steak to coat. Seal or cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Use remaining marinade for an additional salsa on the side or freeze for another time.
• Divide dough into 16 balls and roll into smooth balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• To serve, pile thin slices of carne asada on top of the warmed tortilla, add both salsas, onion and cilantro mixture and serve with charred onions and lime wedges on the side.
• Add 2 cloves of garlic and canned whole plum tomatoes (adding a small amount of liquid) and blend for 1 minute. The consistency shouldn't be chunky but you also don't want it too thin. Taste for seasoning.
• Either using a barbecue or a cast iron pan on the stove, cook steak, turning occasionally, until steak is well charred on outside and centre registers 110 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes total.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out balls into 3-inch circles using a rolling pin. Place circles back on parchment-lined baking sheet, adding layers of parchment to ensure tortillas do not touch. Cover last layer with parchment and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Mix in chopped cilantro, pour into container and cover. Place in fridge until ready to use.
• Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve immediately.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out tortillas into 6-inch circles. Starting in the centre, roll out to the edge, rotating the tortilla after every roll. Tortillas should be very thin and nearly transparent. The edges should smear slightly as you roll tortillas out.
• Heat up griddle or cast iron pan, cooking surface should be hot (test by dropping a few splashes of water, should sizzle and evaporate). Gently peel tortilla off the work surface, and lay onto the griddle. It should immediately sizzle and puff lightly. Cook, rotating, for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until lightly golden in spots. Stack in a resealable plastic bag to allow to steam and soften. Continue with remaining tortillas. Set aside.

SONORAN SHREDDED BEEF TACOS

Steps:

• Mix the ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin and salt. Rub all over the beef.
• Add the vegetable oil to a heavy pan and heat over medium-high heat. Brown the beef pieces on all sides, remove from the pan.
• To the same pan add the onions, sauté until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and beef stock.
• Return the beef back to the pan and submerge into the liquid, bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. The meat is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
• Remove the meat from the pan to a shallow bowl. Add a little of the pan juices and use 2 forks to shred. Add more pan juices as you prefer to moisten the meat.
• Strain the pan juices through a sieve into a pan and bring to a simmer.
• Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mix into the pan juices, simmer until thickened. Serve as sauce for tacos.

SONORAN CARNE ASADA TACOS

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or gas grill, and get it very hot. For gas, set to high heat. For charcoal, grill is ready when coals are red but entirely covered with gray ash, and you can hold your hand about 5 to 6 inches above the coals for only about 4 to 5 seconds before it becomes too hot.
• Clean and season the grill: Using a pair of tongs, rub a quarter of a white onion over the grill. Next, rub the beef fat over the grill to season it further. (Alternately, you can do this using tallow or vegetable oil.)
• Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, place the meat over the hot grill. Season the meat generously with salt on top right before throwing it on the grill, salt-side up. (Alternatively, sprinkle the salt on top of the meat once it's on the grill.)
• Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom has seared, deep grill marks have developed, and the meat juices have started rising and bubbling over the top. Flip to the second side and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes for medium. Remove the meat and place in a lidded dish or container. Cover the cooked meat while you grill the remainder. Allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes.
• One by one, take out the pieces of meat and cut into about ½-inch dice, placing them back in the same lidded dish and covering until all the meat has been chopped.
• Before the meat is brought to the table, make sure the refried beans are hot. Set them on the table along with the salsa and guacamole, in separate bowls.
• Reduce the heat of the grill to medium if using gas, or, if using charcoal, set the flour tortillas on a cooler part of the grill. Heat the flour tortillas about 1 minute or so per side, until puffed, lightly browned and completely heated through. Keep warm in a clean kitchen towel or tortilla warmer and bring to the table.
• To assemble the tacos, a common practice is to grab a warm flour tortilla, spread some refried beans on the middle, add a generous amount of meat, then add salsa and guacamole on top to taste - but everyone can choose how they want to build or eat their tacos. (If the taco doesn't easily close, your assembly was successful!)

SONORA STYLE CARNE ASADA TACOS

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or gas grill. Gas should be set to high, charcoal is ready when the coals are red but entirely covered with gray ash and you can only hold your hand above them, about 5 or 6 inches away, for about 4 to 5 seconds before it becomes too hot.
• Clean and season the grill by rubbing a quarter of a white onion over the grill, using a pair of tongs. Next, rub the beef fat, tallow or vegetable oil over the grill to further season it.
• Working in batches if necessary, place the meat on the hot grill. Season the top of the meat generously with salt just before you put it on the grill, salted side up. Or salt it once it is on the grill.
• Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom has seared, deep grill marks have developed, and the meat juices have started rising and bubbling over the top. Flip over and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare. Remove the meat and place in a lidded dish or container. Cover while you grill the remaining meat. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
• One by one, take out the pieces of meat and cut into 1/2-inch dice or slice thin. Place the cut up meat back into the dish and cover to keep warm as you work.
• Reduce the heat of the grill to medium if using gas. If using charcoal, set the tortillas on a cooler part of the grill. Heat the flour tortillas for about 1 minute per side, until puffed, lightly browned and completely heated through. Keep warm in a clean kitchen towel or tortilla warmer and bring to the table.
• Spread some refried beans on the middle of a warm flour tortilla, add a generous amount of meat, then top the meat with salsa and guacamole to taste. Your taco should be so full that it's difficult to close it!