[letsjumpnow]

Hi all,

I'd like to make authentic mexican tacos (cilantro, onion, lime, chicken, corn tortillas) of the sort you can get in Chicago and NYC, but I always see these guys adding seasoning to the chicken, and that seems to be what does it. I'm kind of suspicious of generic taco seasoning--is it the kind of seasoning they'd use on, like, American-style hard-shell beef tacos, or will it do the trick? Any recommendations on specific brands? Or can I make the seasoning from what I might have in my spice rack already?

Thank you!

Alec

[DocSmith]

Originally Posted by letsjumpnow

Hi all,

I'd like to make authentic mexican tacos (cilantro, onion, lime, chicken, corn tortillas) of the sort you can get in Chicago and NYC, but I always see these guys adding seasoning to the chicken, and that seems to be what does it. I'm kind of suspicious of generic taco seasoning--is it the kind of seasoning they'd use on, like, American-style hard-shell beef tacos, or will it do the trick? Any recommendations on specific brands? Or can I make the seasoning from what I might have in my spice rack already?

Thank you!

Alec

Minor gripe of someone who can't stand cilantro.

I grew up on Mexican food, I even lived a block from the biggest Mexican neighborhood in Chicago and made frequent trips for about as authentic as you can get without going to Mexico Mexican food, and in all that time I never ran into cilantro until the last 10 years or so.

The key always seemed to be very fresh steak/chicken, and only minimal seasoning in the spicy range. My mother used to make the out of the box tacos mix style tacos when I was a kid and its nothing like what I had living in Chicago.

Unfortunately I wasn't much of a foodie then and it was almost 10 years ago so I can't tell you what they seasoned with, but the feeling was always 'light'. After that I really developed a dislike for the taco seasoning mixes.

I doubt the family run place right next to my apartment remembers me after 8 years but I was on friendly terms, shame I didn't ask when I lived down there.

[elchivito]

As a genyou-wine Mexican, I can tell you for a fact that you'll find as many seasonings for tacos as you'll find Mexicans. We're from Northern Mexico and New Mexico, and our tacos are typically made with flour tortillas, although we sometimes use corn. We sometimes make chicken, more often our tacos are either made of cabrito or carne asada. Whatever the meat, we use and have always used Goya Adobo all purpose seasoning for tacos. It's available at most any Latino market. If I were you, I'd pick out my favorite taqueria, and ask the cook what that stuff is he's shaking on the meat. Regarding cilantro, we've always used it in salsa, as an addition to menudo and posole, but never as a garnish or an addition to our tacos. Americans have sort of gone hog wild on cilantro, but it's always been around, just more in the background. Our typical garnishes are sweetened vinegar marinated red onions, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, sliced radishes and queso cotija, sort of Mexican feta. We broil whole fat green onions as a side.
Now I'm hungry again.....

[gonefishin]

Hi there...welcome

My favorite taco's in the Chicago area are from the vendors at the Mawell Street Market (no longer on Maxwell St.). What I've noticed is that only the Tacos al pastor were spiced (with an adobo type seasoning/marinade). The chicken and steak seems as though they were only seasoned with salt. I usually order mine simple on a corn tortilla with just onion, cilantro, squirt of lime and roasted tomatillo salsa.


take care,
dan

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by gonefishin

Hi there...welcome

My favorite taco's in the Chicago area are from the vendors at the Mawell Street Market (no longer on Maxwell St.). What I've noticed is that only the Tacos al pastor were spiced (with an adobo type seasoning/marinade). The chicken and steak seems as though they were only seasoned with salt. I usually order mine simple on a corn tortilla with just onion, cilantro, squirt of lime and roasted tomatillo salsa.


take care,
dan

Bro you should try Taco Grill on Odgen avenue in Westmont, hands down the best Mexican Fast food in the Midwest, possibly the nation.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by letsjumpnow

Hi all,

I'd like to make authentic mexican tacos (cilantro, onion, lime, chicken, corn tortillas) of the sort you can get in Chicago and NYC, but I always see these guys adding seasoning to the chicken, and that seems to be what does it. I'm kind of suspicious of generic taco seasoning--is it the kind of seasoning they'd use on, like, American-style hard-shell beef tacos, or will it do the trick? Any recommendations on specific brands? Or can I make the seasoning from what I might have in my spice rack already?

Thank you!

Alec

They all do it differently, working on the South Side for many years, Back of the Yards and McKinnley park I've had lots of tacos, they put anything from dried chili power, to achiote, to types of things you'd find in mole. I like using what you mentioned above, plus a little Mexican Oregano.

Also a lot of places marinate the chicken meat first.

I would not recommend the packets of taco seasoning.

PS. The Al Pastor he mentioned is the style of cooking which is mainly only done with pork, but I guess you could do it with other meats, its the shepard style of cooking.

[chalkdust]

ho to latin or mexican grocery store, see what they have

i have a meat tenderizer consisting of salt, sugar, papain (papya enzyme)

and msg


so

very tasty.

[MikeLM]

Abe-
You are absolutely right about the Taco Grill in Westmont. They have some really great tacos, as well as a wide range of other well-prepared dishes.

The tacos al Pastor are especially good. They also have a great serve-yourself salsa bar with about twenty-four different salsas and condiments, from mild to killer.

Taco Grill is on the south side of Ogden in Westmont about two blocks west of Cass Avenue. As a matter of fact, it's just two blocks from Katy's Dumplings, (east off Cass behind the Jewel) so you can have two great lunches in one trip! Hang around the western 'burbs for the afternoon and you can have dinner at Lao SeChuan, a little further west on Ogden in Downers Grove.

Mike

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Abe-
You are absolutely right about the Taco Grill in Westmont. They have some really great tacos, as well as a wide range of other well-prepared dishes.

The tacos al Pastor are especially good. They also have a great serve-yourself salsa bar with about twenty-four different salsas and condiments, from mild to killer.

Taco Grill is on the south side of Ogden in Westmont about two blocks west of Cass Avenue. As a matter of fact, it's just two blocks from Katy's Dumplings, (east off Cass behind the Jewel) so you can have two great lunches in one trip! Hang around the western 'burbs for the afternoon and you can have dinner at Lao SeChuan, a little further west on Ogden in Downers Grove.

Mike

What's Katy's Dumplings and Lao SeChuan? I haven't been there.

Get this, I was in Taco Grill and I overheard the owner talking about when Rick Bayless came in, he was asking the owner some questions, and the owner not realizing who he was said he was giving him answers to the extent of, "I'm busy, get away from me", LOL

I guess he's been there quite a few times.

[PeteMcCracken]

Authentic tacos?

I presume that means "the way they are prepared in Mexico", correct?

Too many years ago to confess to, I ate "tacos" in Juarez, Mexico, from a street vendor, a tortilla filled with "boiled Donkey head meat", fried in lard, topped with finely chopped Iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, and, I'm sure, a locally concocted hot sauce.

Now, I use ground beef, preferrably "chuck", cooked in water, not fat. drained, filled into a corn tortilla, folded, fried in LARD until "crisp-tender", drained, and stuffed with finely chopped Iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, extra-sharp grated cheddar, and Sirracha.

[gonefishin]

Originally Posted by abefroman

Bro you should try Taco Grill on Odgen avenue in Westmont, hands down the best Mexican Fast food in the Midwest, possibly the nation.

I'll be sure to give them a try sometime!

thanks,
dan

[bixaorellana]

Not a genuine Mexican like ElChivito, but I've lived in Oaxaca for almost 12 years, on the border before that, and have traveled all over Mexico. There is a certain essential Mexican-ness that can be tasted in all authentic tacos. I think one basic thing to remember is to slightly over-salt the filling, as it's going to be offset by the tortilla.

Don't use those taco seasonings -- they're always harsh with cumin. I think one of the secrets of real Mexican tacos is that the cooks are willing to use more grease in cooking the meat than we usually would at home. It does make for a moister, more flavorful product.

Here's a salsa I make to put on cooked chicken. You might want to experiment with briefly marinating the raw chicken for your tacos in it:
Finely smush together garlic, fresh chile, oregano and salt in a mortar. Scrape it out into a bowl, then squeeze lime juice into the mortar to get the rest of the goop. Pour that into the bowl and mix. Add a little water if you wish.

If you want a really authentic wet seasoning rub for pork, use this. The pork thus prepared is frequently cut up & cooked for tacos around here:

Adobo for cecina, Oaxaca-style. (in Oaxaca, cecina is pork, not beef)
Toast some guajillo chiles on a griddle or dry skillet.
Simmer them in a small amount of water until soft.
Put in blender jar with vinegar, salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic, cloves, and cinnamon and blend as finely as possible, adding a little water if necessary to make a smooth paste.
Smear this all over whatever pork you're using. (suggest cutting a piece of pork into scaloppine for maximum coverage & absorbtion, or use thin pork chops).
Let it set for a couple of hours, loosely covered, before using.

No two meat vendors make the same version, so vary the ingredients above to your taste.

About cilantro -- I'm sure it was always there on Mexican tacos. Maybe the reason it's been noticed more in the States in the last ten years is simply because it became more available?

[elchivito]

Your recipe for adobo sounds really good bixaorellana, and once again points up that old bugaboo about "authentic" that's come up in several threads. There are so many kinds of tacos and tamales in Mexico that trying to pin one down as authentic is a fool's errand. I do agree with you about the use of fat, and oversalting the meat. I'd say that's pretty much a given anywhere you go, and I don't believe I've had a taco in years that had lettuce on it. Maybe in some touristy area where they're serving mostly gringos, but cabbage is what I see most often. Have you people discovered flour tortillas down there yet? It's been a long time since I was in your neck of the woods, but I do remember getting almost exclusively corn tortillas at all the taqerias I stopped at in Oaxaca. In the borderlands, it's now much more common to be offered a choice of corn or flour.

[bixaorellana]

ElChivito, Soriana was offering wheat tortillas, but I don't think they were ever very popular. Also the commercial bread brands have a wheat and whole-wheat tortilla product.
There is a taco here called a gringa which is puerco al pastor & (I think) cheese served on wheat tortilla. It's not rare, rare, but you would have to search for it.
I've never been offered a choice of wheat or corn tortilla here -- tortilla means corn!
And I've never seen lettuce on a taco in Mexico. (eeeeuwwww!)

[OregonYeti]

Cabbage in tacos, huh? Is it common or not? Is it used raw, pickled or ...?