Tacos Tuxpeños

Hola Hola!

Today we’re making Tacos Tuxpeños, one of the recipes the LA Times featured from my cookbook! They’re incredibly easy to make, and even easier if you own a slow cooker or a pressure cooker! I’m also including a quick video tutorial below that I’ll be sharing over on my Instagram stories!

This was no doubt one of my absolute favorite photos I shot for the book, and it was the very last photo I took that day when I was working on this recipe! I remember being frustrated because I had run out of ideas on how to style them, until I remember I had these foam platters. I decided to keep it simple and just get a beauty shot of my hand holding the platter, and went with an orange background and also paired the tacos with an orange Fanta to match the oil stained tortillas to keep the monochromatic theme going.

Tacos Tuxpeños, sometimes referred to as tacos de canasta (basket tacos) or tacos al vapor (steamed tacos), is a dish we had whenever mi mamá was feeling homesick . They reminded her of her childhood in Colima, enjoying these tacos during her lunch breaks at school con sus amigas . The taco Tuxpeño originated in the tiny pueblo of Tuxpan and became famous because the train from Colima would stop there and women would stand outside with baskets filled with tacos kept warm by their own steam, ready to feed hungry passengers . The taco consists of pork stewed in a guajillo-ancho broth reminiscent of Birria, until it shreds apart . I love the flavorful filling, but instead of warming these tacos in their own steam, I like to serve mine on a crispy fried tortilla so they hold up the juicy filling much better.

Enjoy! Nos vemos pronto!

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5 from 1 vote

Tacos Tuxpeños

Servings people

Calories

Author Esteban

Ingredients

6 Guajillo Chiles ,stemmed and seeded
2 Ancho Chiles ,stemmed and seeded
2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
¼ Yellow Onion
5 Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt ,plus more to taste
2 Bay Leaves
3 Lbs Pork Shoulder ,trimmed and cut into 4-inch chunks

For Assembly

Vegetable Oil ,for frying
24 Mini Corn Tortillas (street taco size)
Diced Onion
Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Sliced Radishes
Salsa De Molcajete
Lime Wedges

Instructions

In a large pot, combine the guajillos, anchos, and enough water to completely submerge the chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chiles have softened, about 15 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the chiles and transfer them to a blender. Add 2 cups of the chile cooking liquid to the blender (if you end up with less than that, add fresh water to make up the difference). Add the chicken stock, onion, garlic, thyme, cloves, cumin, and salt. Blend (be sure to open the steam vent/center cap and cover with a towel to avoid explosive hot liquid) on high speed for about 45 seconds to make sure it’s fairly smooth.
Run the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve right into a slow cooker, 6-quart Dutch oven, or pressure cooker. Use a spoon to push the liquid through as needed. Stir in the bay leaves and add the pork.
In a slow cooker: Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the pork shreds easily. In a Dutch oven: Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes. In a pressure cooker: Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes, then quick-release the pressure.
Taste the sauce and adjust the salt as needed. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the sauce and shred it with two forks, then return it to the sauce.
Assemble the tacos: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Grab a tortilla and dip it in the sauce in the pot with the pork, then fry it in the oil until lightly crisped up, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes on each side. Repeat for the remaining tortillas, adding more frying oil as needed, to make 24 tacos.
To serve, add a spoonful of the pork in the sauce on top of the crispy tortilla and top with onion, cilantro, radishes, and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.