Wyrick - Vegan Tacos: Authentic and Inspired Recipes for Mexicos Favorite Street Food

Acknowledgments

My humble gratitude and many thanks go out to my wife Madelyn Pryor for not only supporting me writing this book and shouldering a lot of extra work for our business because of it, but for actively encouraging me to research the topic, write it, and make lots of tasty tacos! I would also like to thank my family for sharing our family history, our folklore, and our recipes. Learning how much food was ingrained in my family history was eye opening. Very many thanks go to the taqueros on the street who shared their outstanding recipes and just plain good eats with me. These are the true caretakers of the ever-changing world of Mexican food. Muchas gracias!

I want to thank Jon Robertson and everyone at Vegan Heritage Press for publishing this book. Thanks also to Susan Richey-Schmitz of A Dogs Life Photography and Art for help with the photos, and Cynthia Lozada for additional research.

Many thanks to my friends, who were extra supportive on recipe-testing days. To the chefs who inspired me to set foot on my journey into the beauty of real Mexican cuisine. To you, for reading this book and for being motivated to make compassionate choices without ever compromising on the quality of your food. Finally, to my great uncle Hector for winning that contest so many years ago. Buen provecho!

Jason Wyrick

Eat Healthy | Eat Compassionately | Eat Well

Tacos on the center plate (clockwise from top left): Chayote al Carbon; Taco Rpido; Taco al Pastor. Surrounding plate clockwise from left: a molcajete with chiles de rbol; tortillas in a terracotta warmer, wilted chard in mojo de ajo; pickled onions, limes, cilantro; Salsa Verde, Guacamole, and Guajillo Chile Salsa.

CHAPTER

Tacos 101

Everything you need to know about tacos.

In this book , I provide everything you need to know to make vegan versions of authentic Mexican tacos, from homemade tortillas to your own vegan queso fresco. At the same time, you are always at liberty to use storebought components, leaving only the job of preparing your filling and assembling your tacos.

The taco recipes in this book range from simple to complex. Whenever possible, I include tips on how to take time-saving shortcuts. To reduce the time even further, I suggest keeping some of your favorite salsas and hot sauces on hand. This is what I do. That way, you dont have to make the filling, the condiments, and the salsas, not to mention the tortillas every time youre hungry for a taco. Speaking of which, I strongly suggest making your own tortillas. It doesnt matter how good the taco filling is, the tortilla will make or break the taco, and there is nothing like a thick fresh corn tortilla toasting on the skillet to round out the taco experience. If you dont make your own, get a good thick corn tortilla from the store. Flimsy tortillas tend to fall apart. Even better, you may have a local tortilla factory near you where you can purchase fresh-made tortillas. Your tacos will thank you for it.

Taco Components Explained

Tacos are a modular experience. They are comprised of the tortilla, the filling, the condiments, and the sauce. You can have one type of taco in many different ways, just by changing out the condiments and the sauces and even by pairing it with one of the flavored tortillas included in the book. They are all variations on a theme. That doesnt mean Ive left you on your own, though.

I have also organized the taco components for you into separate sections. With each taco, I have noted my favorite condiment and salsa/hot sauce pairings. Where there are traditional pairings, such as with the radish and cabbage that go with the Carnitas de Michoacn, I have noted that as well. Dont feel obligated to use those pairings, though. Once you get in the kitchen, these tacos are yours. Make of them what you will, and have fun doing it. If that means taking some extra shortcuts, do it. To me, food is about the overall experience, from buying ingredients to making the food and finally to eating it. Whatever brings you the most joy during the process, I encourage you to do it. If its the difference between deciding to make a taco or not, take the shortcut and make it! I will be happy that you did. Consider me a taco enabler.

How to Assemble and Eat a Taco

Tacos are assembled from the tortilla up and are usually served in twos or threes, sometimes with a small side dish, to make a complete meal. When you make your own tortillas, you will notice a very gentle curve to one side of the tortilla. This is the face of the tortilla. Mass produced tortillas do not have this curve. Fill the tortilla with just 2 to 4 tablespoons of filling, then the condiments, and finish it off with the salsa. The salsa helps hold loose ingredients in place. A few tablespoons of filing dont sound like much, but the typical tortilla for a taco is only five to five and a half inches in diameter and it doesnt take a lot to fill it. Plus, you need to leave room for the condiments. Dont overstuff your tacos or some of the filling and salsa will fall out the sides of your tortilla. Its a messy experience. Thats my best advice. In actual practice, however, I totally overstuff my tacos.

As Quick As You Like

Because of their component nature, preparing tacos allows for a time flexibility not found in most other recipes. For example, if youre in a hurry, you can buy many of the taco components ready-made, such as tortillas, salsas, and other toppings. If you choose a quick filling, you can have tacos on the table in 15 minutes. If you want to make everything from scratch, you could conceivably spend the better part of a fun day making tacos. Its a good idea once in a while, because if you do, youll have fresh components for the next time you make tacos, and your from-scratch tacos will go much more quickly.

I suggest that whether you make your tacos the easy way or the classic way, read through the entire recipe. Sometimes, you may want to make certain ingredients a day ahead. Certain steps may require an hour or two of resting or marinatingthese are all things youll want to know before you begin.

When I make tacos just for me, I often buy the fresh salsas I find at my local Mexican market rather than making my own. When I make everything from scratch, its usually when Im entertaining guests. I generally make the salsas and other toppings the day before and then just make the filling and tortillas the day of the event.

Another aspect of speeding up your prep time has to do with your equipment and skills in the kitchen. I made all the recipes in this book using good quality pots and pans and a very nice knife. Your own cooking gear will probably differ in brand, size, etc., so it is far more important to learn how to cook by sight, smell, and instinct rather than adhering to specific times in recipes.

When you make tacos with on-hand or ready-made ingredients, it can be the ultimate fast-food meal. If you make all the taco components from scratch, it can be a relaxing and rewarding experience.

Recipe Features

Each recipe features helpful information, including:

Region(s): Because I am very interested in food history and anthropology, I included the name of the region associated with each recipe (those of my own creation are from Casa de Jason ). If youre also into food history, I suggest researching where these recipes come from. Whenever possible, Ill steer you in that direction. There are some truly fascinating stories behind many of these recipes. If that doesnt pique your interest, and you just want to eat some good tacos, then just dig right into the recipes!