Chorizo Taco Recipe

📝 Ingredients

• Burnt Tomato Salsa
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 Roma tomatoes
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed
• 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed
• 1/2 red onion
• 6 garlic gloves
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• kosher salt
• Filling
• 2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 lbs. carnitas
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 3 dried pepsin chile, with seeds, stemmed and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup pine notes
• 24 flour tortillas
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 pound medium cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cup halved cherry heirloom tomatoes
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced serrano chiles

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1To make the burnt salsa: Toss tomatoes in oil and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and broil for 20 minutes, until skins become nice and charred, making sure to rotate pan half way through.
2. 2Remove from pan from the oven and transfer the whole tomatoes as is (do not skin or remove seeds) to a food processor and combine it with the serranos, jalapeños, red onion, garlic and vinegar. Pulse, but keep chunky. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
3. 3To make the filling: Add the cubed potatoes to a stockpot ad cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Add 2 tablespoons salt and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Potatoes are ready when they are easily pierced.
4. 4In a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the chorizo, cook and stir until brown, breaking it up with a wooden as you go. Season with salt to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate, but leave the fat in the pan.
5. 5Add the shallots, onion and pequin to the rendered fat and sauce over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the potatoes, cumin, garlic and onion powder; stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the potatoes have a little bit of color on them. Add the pine nuts and cook until crispy but not burnt, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the meat and fully incorporated.
6. 6Spoon some meat and potatoes, about 3 to 4 tablespoons, per taco into each tortilla. Used a soaked clothespin to close tortilla or a soaked skewer and thread into tortilla too close and hold the taco together for frying. Set aside. Repeat with remaining tortilla and filling.
7. 7In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over high heat, warm 1 cup vegetable oil, or enough to cover the tacos three-fourths of the way up the sides when they are laying flat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
8. 8Bring the oil’s temperature to about 360F. Using tongs, add as many tacos as you can without crowding the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip them and and fry for another 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tacos from the pan and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt immediately. Repeat with remaining tacos. Remove any bits of filling floating around in the oil with a spider or slotted spoon if they start to burn.
9. 9Gently open each taco and add the salsa, cheddar cheese and fresh tomatoes. Serve immediately.