I love Mexican tacos. Can somebody tell me how to make them? Also what is a tortilla and how can I make it?

Answer 1

True Mexican tacos are simply a rolled up tortilla with filling. Tortillas are flat cakes of corn dough, or flour. Making them is tricky but you would need Agroinsa or Maseca tortilla corn flour and a tortilla press. Simply follow the instructions on the flour package and roll into balls that you then place in the center of the tortilla press, between to sheets of plastic and press down, then take off the thin cake off the plastic and cook on a hot griddle. Flour Tortillas can be made with a brand of flour especially for that purpose known as Selecta, the process is basically the same. On the other hand Wal Mart and HEB carry these products if you wish to avoid the hassle.

A few pointers about Mexican cuisine, always try to use the real product, not American substitutes or you will end up with a quasi Southwestern attempt at Mexican.
Ground beef filling is known as picadillo, it is made with ground beef, and onions browned a bit, garlic, and a sauce made from pureed fresh tomatoes (not canned) you can do it in the blender, then poured over the browned beef, throw in cubed potatoes and carrots and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, if you like it hot add some jalapeño, serrano or chipotle chilies to the tomatoes in the blender. Avoid using commercial boullion cubes, preferably add herbs like oregano, or cumin in moderate quantities although with the garlic, chilies and tomatoes it should be enough. You can spoon portions of that filling into tortillas, roll them up and eat them. Taco shells are an abomination to Mexican cooking definitely a no no. If you wish to add a hot sauce it can be prepared like the sauce for the meat only cooked by itself in oil until it turns an dark red, this cooked sauce can last longer than fresh sauce and it is poured sparingly over the filling before you roll up the tortilla into a taco.
Basically anything will do for a filling, tacos are eaten by everyone in Mexico you would be surprised at what you can use. Shredded chicken in green sauce or pork rinds in green sauce are great too. Plain refried beans also taste pretty good.

Steer clear of any recipes with mozarella, cheddar or Monterrey jack, they are not used in Mexican cooking, oaxaca, asadero and manchego cheeses are best. We use a lot of cream too and consider Tostadas which are Flat Baked Tortillas with refried beans, shredded chicken, avocado strips, tomato slices, shredded lettuce, cheese and cream, topped with some salsa, really heavenly, the equivalent of a drippy burger because you will need plenty of napkins to stay relatively drip free.
Another favorite is deep fried shredded chicken tacos, eaten with guacamole, cream and salsa, simple and delicious.

In Northern Mexico the equivalent of a BBQ cookout is called a Carne Asada basically a cookout where you grill cuts of meat, sirloin, fajita or skirt, chops with some salt, garlic powder and pepper then cut into strips and eaten in a taco with what they call pico de gallo which is just diced onions, tomatoes and chilies in equal quantities, some sort of dry salsa if you think about it, guacamole is a must as are beans, but prepared with sausage, dry spanish sausage, cilantro, onions, tomatoes and beer. They are called frijoles borrachos and they are pretty good. This cookout is the perfect excuse for a friendly get together in Northern Mexico. A taquiza is more common in Central and Southern Mexico it means preparing your tacos from a buffet of stews and fillings accompanied by rice (white or red, no Spanish rice or stuff like that) and beans. The variety of ways you can prepare beans is also endless, if you really love Mexican food get Diana Kennedy's books she is the only American who really knows what she is talking about and she does know Mexican food.

Try them, and as we say in Mexico Buen Provecho (bon apetit)

Answer 2

This is a simple, easy to make flour tortilla recipe. My grandmother always made homemade tortillas for us. It was a way for her to nourish her family. She made the best tortillas! Tortillas can be part of the meal, a bread to compliment or a delicious dessert.

3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Add vegetable shortening or lard. Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening.
Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned
way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do
not need very hot water.

Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them
rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

This is a good time to heat up the comal. You will want to set it at medium to high
heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.

Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin or palote. It is a good
idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the palote
in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the
dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.

Lay your tortilla on the hot comal. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other
side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a
towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.
They are ready to be served!

If you need any of the equipment to make flour tortillas, try our authentic tortilla kit.

Answer 3

Chicken "tinga" tacos
Boil a whole chicken and when it has cooled enough to handle, shred the meat with your fingers. Remove skin of 2 big tomatoes by putting them in boiling water, cut them in half, not from the stem downward but lef to right. This way it good be easy to remove seeds. Dice the tomatoes. Cut 2 onions into thin half wedges and fry them in 2 tablespoons corn oil. They should keep looking white, very firm. Then, quickly, add chopped chiles chipotle en escabeche (NOT adobados, they are too hot even for Mexicans, try looking for Lucero´s, those are good and not hot. If using adobados, remove the seeds), add diced tomatoes, also 3 Tablespoons of dark sugar, 1 Tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 cup of apple vinegar. Mix it so everything warms up, remove from heat and serve them with warm corn and/or flour tortillas.
Flour tortillas
1 kilo of flour (about 2 lbs, or 4 -1/2 cups)
1 cup of shortening
2 Tablespoons of salt
Mix it very well with your fingers until you cannot see any crumbs of shortening and then, very carefully, using a wooden spoon to mix, add
2 cups of very hot water
Mix very well and start to roll the tortillas on a floured surface. Place them on a skillet (thick iron would be best) over med-high heat. Bubbles would start to form, using a spatula quickly turn them over. Leave for 40 sec to 1 min and turn them AGAIN, that would make them baloon. They turn pretty, you will see...
Alonso
Mexico City

Answer 4

FLOUR TORTILLAS Favorite!
3/4 to 7/8 c. hot water
4 c. Flour 1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening 1 tsp. baking powder
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add hot water to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle. Place each circle on a hot griddle and cook for 30 seconds; turn and cook 45 seconds; turn and cook for 30 more seconds. Keep cooked tortillas warm and covered as you finish cooking the remainder of the dough.
Serve warm. Store any leftover tortillas in an airtight
container in the refrigerator or freezer. Makes 24.

For the filling? Wow! That is a very big question. I've done everything from peanut butter to the extravagant. Refried Beans should be a good base.

REFRIED BEANS
1 c. Pinto Beans or canned pinto beans and skip 1 2 and 3.
2 cloves garlic
Lard (oil or shortening)

1. Clean and wash beans.
2. Soak for a minimum of 2 hours and no more than 24.
Rinse well.
3. Cook beans in garlic and water until very tender.
Drain.

4. In a hot skillet, add lard, and add mashed beans.(Can
be mashed in the skillet with the hot oil)
5. Fry until water is cooked out.
If still soupy add a little corn starch or flour to
thicken or just keep cooking..

Then add thin sliced chicken, beef, or pork. Add lettuce and tomato or make your own Pico de Gallo.

1 seeded tomato chopped fine
1/2 small onion chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
1 seeded and veined serrano pepper finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Pinch of Kosher salt (or table salt)
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Mix well, and cover. Put in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

People state side like to add a dollop of sour cream, but I don't.
The left over salsa (pico de Gallo) can be saved and used later for a dip with your chips.

If you need more help. email to my address. I'll be glad to help.

Answer 5

Sahar, it's much easier to buy tortillas from a store. Tortillas are made from either flour or corn and are basically flatbread.
I make vegetarian tacos by using beans instead of meat, but if you eat meat, just cook it up and add cumin, garlic, salt, cayenne, and chili powder. Put in tortilla, add your fave toppings (lettuce, cheese, tomato, cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce, etc.) and that's it!

Answer 6

brown ground beef, and taco seasoning from packet, cook, add meat to shell, lettuce, etc.... and you can buy the tortilla from any grocery store, hard shell or soft

Answer 7

you can buy old elpso taco kits at the grocery store. they're really good. you have to buy the stuff you want to put on them, like cheese, tomatoes, peppers, onions, ext. the kit comes with taco shells, you can get hard shells or soft shells, salsa, and the seasoning for your hamburger. try them.

Answer 8

In the superstore, fruits are usually picked out much too soon. Some are rocks, many are wrong. Some of the fresh vegetables are right (zucchini, onions, garlic, lettuce, greens, and a few others) so I'd have to go with vegetables.

Answer 9

HOT GROUND BEEF TACOS

2 lb. ground round
3 tbsp. sweet butter
3 c. onion, chopped
2 c. green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin seed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 cans tomatoes
1 cans tomato paste
1 can condensed beef broth, undiluted
2 beef bouillon cubes
4 pkgs. Frozen tortillas
Vegetable oil
2 cans pimentos, drained, chopped
12 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated

In large Dutch oven, sauté ground round, breaking into small pieces with fork as it browns. Using slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl. Discard fat. Melt butter in same Dutch oven; sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onion turns golden. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika and bay leaf. Cook gently, stirring about 5 minutes. Add browned meat, tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, bouillon cubes. Stir, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile, thaw tortillas as package directs. Pour 1/2-inch vegetable oil into a skillet, heat tortillas as package directs for tacos. To serve; heat chili mixture to boiling. Stir in pimentos. Place about 1/4 cup chili over lettuce. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Serve at once with Hot Green Sauce.


FLOUR TORTILLAS

3 cups unsifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup lard
1 cup water

Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in lard with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Add water.
Mix lightly with a fork until the dough clings together. Using your hands, gather dough and knead in the bowl for about 3 minutes. Cover bowl with a towel. Let rise 1/2 hour.

Divide the dough into 10 to 12 small balls. Roll the dough into a thin 12" circle on a lightly floured work surface. Stack tortillas with wax paper between each one as they are rolled.

Lightly grease a very large heavy skillet or griddle. Place tortillas one at a time onto griddle, pressing here and there with a wadded paper towel to make bubbles or blisters that give the tortilla lightness.

Cook until tortilla turns golden brown on both sides (turning once). Keep in plastic bag while baking the remaining tortillas.

These are ideal for making ahead and freezing. Freeze in a plastic bag with waxed paper between.

To reheat: Place on griddle until soft and pliable or steam slightly until warm.

Answer 10

taco bell