Many of you old timers know that I have posted more taco cooks here over the years than anything else, though pizza comes at a close second.
Part of the reason for this is I not only love tacos, but I have found that eating tacos regularly is the secret to living a deeply satisfying life. Besides the fact that they just taste so darn good, they are the perfect food and the ideal balance between carbs, protein, and fat. When you make the tacos with homemade tortillas, it kicks the taste factor up to a whole new level.
So let's get started!
I bought some USDA Choice skirt:
Laid it out for seasoning:
Then dusted with Lawry's and McCormack BBQ seasoning:
The two seasonings are very close to what many Mexican meat markets use on their pre-marinated carne asada.
Next, cut and juiced some fresh oranges from our neighbor's tree:
Then, I had some cilantro and sliced onion to layer in with the meat:
Then into the bag it went, with one layer of meat, then onion and cilantro on top, then another layer of meat etc:
When all the meat, cilantro and onions were in the bag, I added the fresh orange juice along with 1TSP of soy sauce. I recently found that this is a pretty common procedure in Mexico, as the soy sauce adds a depth of Umami that is quite savory. A little goes a long way, so if you do this, be careful not to overdo it.
Here's everything in the bag to soak up all that goodness:
The meat marinated for several hours in the fridge. Later that day, The Missus worked on the tortillas and chorizo:
The Chorizo we're using is Salvadoran Chorizo, which has a different flavor profile than Mexican Chorizo, which is more spicy. It's not quite as fatty as its Mexican counterpart and fresh herbs like oregano and parsley are prominent.
Up until recently, we bought fresh masa from our local Mexican market, but a few months back, The Missus decided to tackle making her own at home and we've never looked back. The secret to soft, pillowy tortillas, The Missus found, is to NOT follow the recipe usually found on the back of the masa package, which is roughly 1 part masa to 1/3 part warm water. Do this and you will have crispy hockey pucks. Instead, use equal parts warm water and masa and you'll be on track.
At this point, it was time to fire up the grill:
I threw on some oak chunks:
Then the meat went on indirect to soak up some of that oaky smoky goodness:
A bit later I moved the meat closer to the fire:
When the meat was close to done, I moved the onions over the fire:
After everything was done, I brought it all back inside and cut up the meat and onions. Didn't take any pics of that, but here's what the tacos looked like after a bit of fresh pico de gallo was added:
The chorizo was dressed with salsa verde, and the carne asada and grilled onions were topped with salsa roja:
The tacos were sublime, especially with the soft pillowy homemade tortillas. It was truly a life-affirming meal...
Part of the reason for this is I not only love tacos, but I have found that eating tacos regularly is the secret to living a deeply satisfying life. Besides the fact that they just taste so darn good, they are the perfect food and the ideal balance between carbs, protein, and fat. When you make the tacos with homemade tortillas, it kicks the taste factor up to a whole new level.
So let's get started!
I bought some USDA Choice skirt:
Laid it out for seasoning:
Then dusted with Lawry's and McCormack BBQ seasoning:
The two seasonings are very close to what many Mexican meat markets use on their pre-marinated carne asada.
Next, cut and juiced some fresh oranges from our neighbor's tree:
Then, I had some cilantro and sliced onion to layer in with the meat:
Then into the bag it went, with one layer of meat, then onion and cilantro on top, then another layer of meat etc:
When all the meat, cilantro and onions were in the bag, I added the fresh orange juice along with 1TSP of soy sauce. I recently found that this is a pretty common procedure in Mexico, as the soy sauce adds a depth of Umami that is quite savory. A little goes a long way, so if you do this, be careful not to overdo it.
Here's everything in the bag to soak up all that goodness:
The meat marinated for several hours in the fridge. Later that day, The Missus worked on the tortillas and chorizo:
The Chorizo we're using is Salvadoran Chorizo, which has a different flavor profile than Mexican Chorizo, which is more spicy. It's not quite as fatty as its Mexican counterpart and fresh herbs like oregano and parsley are prominent.
Up until recently, we bought fresh masa from our local Mexican market, but a few months back, The Missus decided to tackle making her own at home and we've never looked back. The secret to soft, pillowy tortillas, The Missus found, is to NOT follow the recipe usually found on the back of the masa package, which is roughly 1 part masa to 1/3 part warm water. Do this and you will have crispy hockey pucks. Instead, use equal parts warm water and masa and you'll be on track.
At this point, it was time to fire up the grill:
I threw on some oak chunks:
Then the meat went on indirect to soak up some of that oaky smoky goodness:
A bit later I moved the meat closer to the fire:
When the meat was close to done, I moved the onions over the fire:
After everything was done, I brought it all back inside and cut up the meat and onions. Didn't take any pics of that, but here's what the tacos looked like after a bit of fresh pico de gallo was added:
The chorizo was dressed with salsa verde, and the carne asada and grilled onions were topped with salsa roja:
The tacos were sublime, especially with the soft pillowy homemade tortillas. It was truly a life-affirming meal...
