Brandon Schultz - The Taco Revolution: Over 100 Traditional and Innovative Recipes to Master Americas New Favorite Food

Copyright 2014 by Brandon Schultz All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schultz, Brandon, 1984 The taco revolution : over 100 traditional and innovative recipes to master Americas new favorite food ISBN 978-1-62873-623-6 (hardback) 1. Tacos. 2. 3. 3.

Mexican American cooking. I. Title. TX836.S38 2014 641.84dc23 2013039265 Printed in China

To Joanne and Joann, for endless inspiration in cuisine and hospitality,
and infectious enthusiasm for food. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION If you still think ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa when you hear taco, you are missing out on a world of flavorful opportunities that could change the way you think about every meal of the day! A taco is simply a meal in a tortilla and, while traditional tacos typically involve slow-cooked meats, you can put just about anything in a tortilla with delicious results. Fruit? Macaroni and cheese? Chinese food? YES! Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? YES! If you are merely curious, the recipes that follow could keep you busy with new tacos for a year as you mix and match the various tortilla shells, stuffings, seasonings, and sauces.

If you are adventurous, the recipes could inspire you for a lifetime as you branch out into your own creations with the techniques learned here. Be creative and remember a few simple guidelines: nothing too runny or wet, nothing too hard or crunchy (except in very small doses), smaller ingredients usually work better, and a large piece of lettuce goes further than shredded lettuce when it comes to keeping a tortilla dry or containing ingredients if a tortilla breaks! Only recently has the taco become a phenomenon, with taco food trucks and restaurants popping up everywhere, but tacos have been around for thousands of years, and for good reasons: They are simple, filling, and delicious! Here is everything you need to master traditional tacos, try modern takes, and invent your own. All recipes that include specific tortillas, sauces, or salsas are simply my suggestions based on what I found to go best with the stuffings, but you can and should substitute to your own taste. And if you are preparing tacos for several people, provide as many options as you can; every taco can be personally tailored to heat profiles, allergy considerations, and topping preferences without any added work for the chef! Tacos are a win for everyone, all the time, so get started! EQUIPMENT At the bare minimum, you do not need anything special to create great tacos, but there are a couple of tools that can make your life a lot easier, especially if you plan to make tacos often. CAST-IRON PAN A cast-iron pan is going to be the most reliable tool for heating anything evenly, and this is an enormous benefit when making a tortilla, which is thin and cooks very quickly. You can make tortillas without one, but if you have been considering investing in cast iron already, then consider this your justification for finally doing it.

One cast-iron pan is not a huge expense, and it will make your culinary life easier far beyond tacos! TORTILLA PRESS If you are going to make your own tortillas, and I absolutely suggest you do, a tortilla press is a cheap investment (about $20) that will yield perfect tortillas with minimal struggle every time! If you have a great eye for circles and refuse to have one more kitchen gadget in your life, you can use a rolling pin, but this method will be a bit more difficult, considerably messier, and will rarely give you a nice, round result. If you do not care, skip it! I love mine. (It can also be very helpful for baking!) DUTCH OVEN I use a Dutch oven when preparing meats for most of the recipes in The Taco Revolution because it ensures a juicier result. Dry meat will kill a taco. If you do not have one, and do not want one, a pot with a tight lid will work well in most cases. GRIDDLE A griddle is great for recipes like the Philly Cheeseteak Taco where a good amount of thin meat should be cooked quickly while possibly being chopped and shredded at the same time.

This can be achieved in a flat-bottomed pan, just in smaller batches. FOOD PROCESSOR Especially for salsa and sauce recipes, a food processor can make your taco life much easier, but this is not essential. A traditional blender (or immersion blender) will do the job, but with a little more time and probably less perfect results. ICE CREAM MAKER, SMOKER & JULIENNE PEELER Each of these is featured in exactly one recipe in The Taco Revolution . If you are determined to try every single recipe (and I hope you are!), then you need these. If not, skip them, but be warned: The three recipes you are forfeiting are delicious, and regrets can keep you up at night....

BEEF Cheeseburger Taco Have a craving for a burger outside of grilling season? Looking for something fun for kids or a party? The cheeseburger taco is even easier than a traditional burger, with fewer ingredients and more flavor! Makes 6 tacos. 1 pound ground beef 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cups torn lettuce (large pieces) 1 plum tomato, diced cup red onion, thinly sliced cup relish Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping Tortillas D IRECTIONS: 1. Brown ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat, about 8-10 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and cook 1 more minute, mixing constantly, until fully melted. 2. Top a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

Add cheesy ground beef and top with relish and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. Cheesy Lettuce Wrap Taco Traditional tacos are naturally gluten-free, but if you only have flour tortillas on hand and still need a gluten-free alternative, lettuce wraps are the perfect solution. They work particularly well with this recipe but can be applied to any taco that is not overly wet or crunchy. Makes 4-6 tacos. 1 pound ground beef 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 4-6 large leaves iceberg lettuce, whole 1 plum tomato, diced cup red onion, thinly sliced Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping cup sour cream, for topping D IRECTIONS: 1. Brown ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat, about 8-10 minutes.

Add cheddar cheese and cook 1 more minute, mixing constantly, until fully melted. 2. Top a lettuce leaf with cheesy beef, tomato, and red onion. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and top with sour cream. Serve open, and wrap/roll loosely to eat. Classic American Taco This is probably what you envision when you hear the word taco, and it is the only taco in this book specifically recommended for the baked shell.