Tacos are half-moon folded tortillas and filled with meat, vegetables, or fish, enriched with sauces and other seasonings.
The word “taco” in Spanish originally meant “stopper,” and tacos got this name because the tortillas were filled to the brim with spicy meat and then “stopped.”
There is often confusion between tacos and burrito, but the main difference is in the form: the burrito (Tex-Mex recipe) consists of a rolled tortilla closed at the ends, while for the taco, the tortilla is often folded in half and remains more compact and crunchy.
There are infinite taco recipes, but it’s important to differentiate between the original Mexican ones (soft-tacos) and those usually found in Tex-Mex restaurants (hard-shell-tacos) with a crunchy texture and golden surface.
Authentic Mexican cuisine tacos are quite soft.
That’s why the traditional preparation involves overlapping them before filling with stuffing: this way, the thin and delicate consistency will be strengthened to hold toppings and ingredients without falling apart.
Not to be confused, again, with Navajo tacos.
The Tacos de Asador version (also called mulita or gringa or grilled meat tacos) is the grilled one, which involves both the meat for the filling and the tortilla being grilled (or seared on a flat surface or cast iron skillet) to make them crunchier.
The usual meat cut used is beef belly, or diaphragm (arrachera in Mexican), or the Argentine cut asado de tira*, or you can use chorizo, or even chicken.
The sauce that pairs best is guacamole, but you can also opt for a roja sauce, spicy with ground chili along with other spices.
The comal griddle (a Mexican kitchen utensil) is used in Mexico to cook tortillas.
* The asado de tira is the American “Short Beef Ribs” cut or our beef rib roast, coming from the cow’s front quarter but portioned differently, with a cut of the bones perpendicular to the ribs and not parallel.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 pieces
- Cooking methods: Grill
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the tortillas:
- 250 g masa harina (or a mix of wheat and corn flour)
- 120 ml water (lukewarm)
- to taste salt
- 350 g beef belly (or diaphragm or asado de tira)
- 1 lime (juice)
- to taste herbs
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tomatoes
- to taste olive oil
- to taste cilantro (or parsley)
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste guacamole sauce
Preparation
For the tortillas:
If you opted for a flour mix (corn flour should be in greater quantity to give the classic yellow color) sift them both and add the lukewarm water little by little, starting to knead with your fingertips. Season with salt.
Once you have a smooth and homogeneous dough, let it rest covered with a cloth for about 30 minutes in a dry place.
Divide the dough into balls the size of a fist and roll them out on a floured surface to form round and thin tortillas.
Place your tortillas on the already hot griddle surface, without adding oil or other fats: cook 2 minutes per side over medium/low heat and transfer them to a serving plate. Stack them one on top of the other and cover with a damp kitchen cloth.
If you don’t want to give up on the crunchiness of Tex-Mex style taco shells, you can do a second cooking by frying the tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds.
For the filling:
Place the meat in a baking dish and add the marinade ingredients: chopped garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper, herbs mix, lime juice, and olive oil. Now massage the meat with your hands until everything is well combined.
The longer the meat marinates, the better, the minimum is 2 hours, in the refrigerator.
Take out the meat at least 15 minutes before cooking it.
For pan cooking: cut it into strips and sauté in a pan with oil and chopped onion.
For grill cooking: light the barbecue and prepare for medium-high direct heat cooking. Drain the marinade well and cook the meat for 2-3 minutes per side.
Cut it into strips.
Assemble the tacos:
Put the chopped tomato in the center of each tortilla, then the still-hot carne asada, a spoonful of cooking juices, and finish with Guacamole sauce (or whichever you prefer).
Other types of Mexican tacos:
– Tacos de cabeza (or cazuela): tortillas filled with parts of the cow’s face, such as tongue, brains, eyes etc;
– De cazo: usually made with pork tripe, stewed in large pots;
– Dorados: also called flautas, due to their cylindrical shape, filled with chicken and fried;
– De pescado: with grilled or fried fish, a version highly imitated in Texas and California;
– Tacos De camarones: with grilled or fried shrimp paired with guacamole sauce.
– Al carbón: typical of the State of Sonora, the filling of these tacos is grilled beef. The characteristic taste comes from the charcoal used.
– Tacos De canasta: tortillas filled with chorizo, potatoes, pork rind or beans, dipped in oil or melted butter, immediately wrapped in kitchen paper to be transported and sold on the street, also called sweaty tacos, because they are seasoned with many spicy spices and then kept covered inside a basket, making them moist.
– De papa: vegetarian, can be based on potato cream and/or zucchini flowers, grilled peppers (rajas) or nopales, that is, cactus cut into sticks and cooked in a pan.
– De papa: vegetarian, can be based on potato cream and/or zucchini flowers, grilled peppers (rajas) or nopales, that is, cactus cut into sticks and cooked in a pan.
For the recipe, you can make the guacamole sauce yourself following the recipe or buy a taco sauce with a spice mix, directly online.
For the recipe, you can make the guacamole sauce yourself following the recipe or buy a taco sauce with a spice mix, directly online.
Are Tacos al Pastor and Tacos de Asador the same recipe?
No, tacos al pastor are not also called tacos de asador; they are two distinct preparations in Mexican cuisine.
🌮 Differences between Tacos al Pastor and Tacos de Asador
Tacos al Pastor:
Originating from Mexico City, they are inspired by shawarma introduced by Lebanese migrants.
Made with pork marinated in a blend of dry chiles, spices, and pineapple.
The meat is cooked on a “trompo”, a vertical spit, and served with pineapple, onion, and cilantro.
Tacos de Asador:
The term “asador” refers to the grill or charcoal cooking method.
They can include various types of meat, such as carne asada, tripa (tripe), or chorizo, grilled until crispy.
Served on corn tortillas with toppings like guacamole, salsa, onion, and cilantro.
🔄 Other Regional Names
In some regions of Mexico, such as the north and coast, tacos al pastor are known as tacos de trompo or tacos de adobada.
✅ Conclusion
Although both are types of tacos, tacos al pastor and tacos de asador differ in cooking method, type of meat, and toppings. Tacos al pastor are specific for their marinade and cooking on a trompo, while tacos de asador refer to a variety of grilled meats.
