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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tacos- From Mexico With Love

By Fernandes Torres

Traditional Mexico has given birth too many dishes, most of which have been adopted by modern cultures. Tacos had a Mexican cradle too, with tortillas being taken with small fish fillings. The dish found its way to American, and diversified with the kind of fillings chosen. Fish, chicken, pork and vegetable fillings are common, but ground beef and carne asada supersede them all. While some taco recipes are easy to make, there are those that are rather sophisticated, mostly because they include more ingredients.

The variation and versatility there is with tacos is brought about by the different kinds of fillings that can be used. Vegetable fillings are preferred by the non-conformist crowd of vegans, but chicken, pork and beef fillings are enjoyed by everyone else. Though not very popular with Mexico where they first started, American tortillas are made into a U-shape before it is filled. In the natural, the tortillas are meant to be flattened. The playful design is a sight for sore eyes, and a good way to add a twist to this very common dish.

Making tortillas hardly takes time- something that makes them a go-to dish whenever you dont want to spend so much time in the kitchen. To make tacos, you need to have tortillas made. After kneading tortilla dough, you make some balls, flatten and then fry them. Stovetop browning is best done using a cast iron skillet.

Making the taco fillings is the other part of making tortillas. Ground beef is chosen because its more readily available than say, seafood, or chicken. If you happen to be going for ground beef tacos, then this condensed recipe should help. First acquire all the ingredients you will need- the beef, onions, pepper and seasoning ingredients- oregano paprika, cumin, salt, chili and garlic powders.

You first cook the beef until brown and then add onions and pepper. Stir as you add, until beef no longer has a pink coloring. Add the seasoning ingredients, some water. It should simmer for a while before you serve. This is basically one of the easiest recipes you can get. If you have more time, you could add your ingredients list to include sour cream, taco sauce, guacamole, lime wedges and so on. You can add garnishes such as salsa, cilantro and lettuce to add to the flavor.

Tacos have high calories, so if you always watch what you eat, make sure you dont exceed the number of calories you are used to taking. But even when you are watching your weight, you can attest to the rich, unforgettable taste that tacos give.

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