TacoProject

Taco recipes, taquería reviews and regional guides from Austin: al pastor, birria, breakfast tacos, salsas and the stories behind them.

Taco Tuesday

Recap: Taco Tuesday Meetup #42

Thanks to the 38 (!) of you who showed up for Taco Tuesday Meetup #42. We took over the patio, ordered roughly our body weight in tacos, and held the traditional end-of-night salsa vote.

Tacos de carnitas, carne asada and al pastor
Photo: Larry Miller / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A taco truck in New Orleans
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A barbacoa taco
Photo: Missvain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Carnitas taco on a small plate
Photo: Jan Mark Holzer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
A bowl of salsa verde
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. JED / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
A bowl of fresh guacamole
Photo: Nikodem Nijaki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Highlights

  • New record: one member ate eleven tacos. He has asked to remain anonymous. (It was Greg.)
  • The salsa vote ended in a tie between a roasted tomatillo verde and a peanut-chile macha. Recount pending.
  • First meetup with a guacamole bar. Would do again.
  • Someone brought homemade horchata. Hero status confirmed.

Meetup #43 is next month. Watch the Events category for details, and bring your appetite.

Which Taco Are You? A Very Scientific Quiz

Answer these five questions honestly (we will know if you lie) and discover your true taco self. Results have been verified by zero scientists.

The Questions

  1. It is Friday night. You are: A) at a party B) on the couch with a slow cooker going C) at the beach D) arguing about something online
  2. Pick a salsa: A) roja with pineapple B) salsa verde C) pico de gallo D) chile de árbol, extra
  3. Your ideal vacation: A) a big city B) grandma’s house C) Ensenada D) Guadalajara
  4. Your texting style: A) all caps B) long, thoughtful paragraphs C) emojis only D) voice memos, seven minutes each
  5. Pick a drink: A) jarritos B) horchata C) cold beer with lime D) a mug of consommé
Flautas with guacamole
Photo: Jon Sullivan / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Score Chart

Your answers     Result
---------------  --------------------
Mostly A         AL PASTOR        ###
Mostly B         CARNITAS         ###
Mostly C         BAJA FISH TACO   ###
Mostly D         BIRRIA           ###
Tie              TACO DE SAL      #

Scientific accuracy:   [##........]  20%
Delicious accuracy:    [##########] 100%

Your Results

Click to reveal. No peeking at the others. (You will peek at the others.)

Mostly A: You are Al Pastor

Flashy, social, a little dramatic. You love a crowd and you always make an entrance (with pineapple). Everyone wants to be near you at 1 a.m.

Mostly B: You are Carnitas

Reliable, warm, patient. You take your time and it always pays off. Friends call you when they need comfort.

Mostly C: You are a Baja Fish Taco

Breezy, bright, allergic to stress. You own sunglasses in six colors. Your spirit animal is a lime wedge.

Mostly D: You are Birria

Intense, a bit messy, impossible to ignore. You come with your own dipping sauce and your own opinions.

A tie: You are a Taco de Sal

Minimalist. Pure. Maybe a little smug about it. Honestly, we respect it.

Share your result in the comments. Birrias, please keep it civil.

Taco Night Soundtrack & Menu

Planning a taco night this weekend? We put together everything you need: music to cook to, a quick look at a street cook in action and our printable menu.

Press play

Start with some traditional Mexican folk music while you prep the salsas.

Watch a pro

A short clip from a street food stall, for inspiration and a little humility.

The menu

Download and print the menu we use for our own taco nights. It lists three fillings, four salsas and two aguas frescas.

Taco Night MenuDownload

The spread

A spread of tacos on a long table
Our full Taco Night spread, shot at full resolution.
A glass of horchata
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Taco Tag Soup

Some tacos cannot be summed up in a single word. Last Tuesday we laid out everything in the fridge: fresh masa for the comal, three salsas, two cheeses, pickled onions, radishes, a mountain of cilantro and leftover suadero, lengua and tripa from the weekend.

The result was the most chaotic, delicious taco night of the year, and a post with more tags than we have ever used. Browse any of them below to find more from our archive.

A bowl of fresh guacamole
Photo: Nikodem Nijaki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

🌮 Taco Emoji Etiquette: When to Use 🌶️ vs 🔥

Every Taco Tuesday group chat eventually hits the same crossroads: someone posts a photo of their plate, and you need to respond. Do you send 🌶️ or 🔥? We have opinions.

Use 🌶️ when…

  • The salsa is actually spicy, as in habanero or chile de árbol spicy.
  • You are warning someone before they take a bite.
  • You are rating heat levels, one 🌶️ to five.

Use 🔥 when…

  • The taco looks incredible, regardless of heat.
  • There is visible char from a real grill.
  • Someone just made their first batch of homemade tortillas.

And please: 🌯 is a burrito. Do not send it in response to a taco. We will know. 🌮

Rajas con Crema and Mushroom Tacos

Prep (min)

15

Cook (min)

25

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Heat 🌶

2

🥄 Pairs well with: Salsa Verde Cruda

Rajas means “strips,” and rajas con crema is a central Mexican classic: roasted poblano peppers cooked down with onion and cream until silky. We add well-browned mushrooms for a meaty depth and sweet corn for pops of color.

Ingredients

  • 4 large poblano peppers
  • 12 oz cremini or oyster mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 cup Mexican crema (or heavy cream)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 2 tbsp oil, salt, and 12 warm corn tortillas

Method

  1. Char the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning until blackened all over.
  2. Seal them in a bowl covered with a plate for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins, remove the seeds and cut into strips.
  3. Brown the mushrooms in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt. Do not crowd the pan. Set aside.
  4. Add the remaining oil and cook the onion until soft and golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and corn for 2 minutes more.
  5. Stir in poblano strips, mushrooms and crema. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Season with salt.
  6. Spoon into tortillas and finish with queso fresco.
Is it spicy?

Poblanos are mild, but every so often you meet a feisty one. Taste a strip before adding it all, and balance with extra crema if needed.

More meat-free ideas live in Vegetarian Recipes.