PITTSBURGH — It’s the rare grownup, teenager or child who doesn’t love a good taco (or three) every now and again, if not on each and every Tuesday as the social media trend dictates.
In Pittsburgh, it’s easy to scratch the itch for this classic Mexican hand food, as we have our pick of so many great places to fill up on meat- or vegetable-filled tortillas in and around city. They’re available everywhere from food trucks and small storefronts to full-service restaurants and even a gas station-turned-Mexican grocery in Coraopolis (La Poblanita).
Our mouths water at the thought of tacos because they taste great, of course, and are extremely versatile; they’re a good choice for vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike. You can tuck almost anything — meat, veggies, fruit, beans, cheese and even the occasional leftover — into a corn or flour tortilla.
They’re also a kitchen darling because tacos are ridiculously easy to make at home, even if you don’t normally like to cook. And tacos make good financial sense in these challenging economic times, because they usually feature less-expensive cuts of meat like ground beef, and also can be built with rice, corn and beans.
A package of 30 corn tortillas at my local grocery store cost just $2.15 — about 21 cents per three-taco serving.
That’s why I was excited when a copy of “Sunny Days, Taco Nights” by Enrique Olvera (Phaidon Press, $40) landed in my mailbox. The acclaimed Mexican chef has been experimenting with tacos for well over a decade at his Mexico City restaurant, Pujol, growing more inventive as he developed a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the staple he and his staff worked with every day.
The cookbook includes 100 succulent recipes for home cooks — both classics like barbacoa, Baja-style fish and al Pastor tacos and “originals” like ones featuring fried Brussels sprouts, rabbit, octopus and bundled green beans and peanuts.
In the book’s foreword, co-author Alonso Ruvalcaba writes that a taco “is the opposite of exclusive: It is genuinely for the masses — not just in words or a damn sign, but for real. For everyone.”
To keep costs down for this latest installment in our budget-minded dinner series, I opted for a taco that was a little different but still in the “classic” category because it includes ingredients you could find in most grocery stores and a super-simple preparation: cochinada tacos.
Cochinado means “filth” in Spanish, which sounds pretty unappetizing. In this case, it refers to the crispy bits and pieces of meat that collect at the bottom of a chorizo grill after many hours of cooking sausage.
In Olvera’s book, they’re made with a combination of finely chopped beef cecina (a cured, air-dried beef similar to prosciutto) and “green” chorizo made with spinach, pork, peanuts, nuts and raisins, among other things.
I went a more traditional route, swapping regular ground beef and chorizo, though I kept the traditional garnishes of onion, lime juice and cilantro.
The original recipe is probably tastier, but my version was pretty delish, too — crunchy, slightly spicy and definitely craveable.
The best part: The entire dish took less than 20 minutes, during which I prepared the guacamole served as an appetizer and also the spicy salsa de arbol to be spooned on top for some extra zing.
The breakdown on cost: $2.42 for the guacamole, $2.16 for the salsa, $7.37 for six tacos and $3.01 for a pan of nine brownies gently spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. That adds up to just $14.96 for two, with leftovers, or about $7.50 per person for a three-course, really tasty meal.
The biggest expense after the meat (which wasn’t that costly since you use a total of 1 pound) was the avocado. In fact, I almost chucked it from the menu when the first store I stopped at was charging $2 apiece, which would have blown my $15 budget. Then I saw them for almost half the price at another store — whew!
The classic Mexican appetizer was back on, with one change: To make the guac guilt-free, I served it with crisp-cut carrot sticks — a budget vegetable I always have in my refrigerator crisper — instead of tortilla or corn chips.
For dessert, I gave in to my love of chocolate with a really fudgy brownie that used very little flour and only one stick of butter.
As always in this series, I went into it with a plan, made careful choices, and took advantage of ingredients I already had on hand (and you probably do, too). I didn’t have to factor into the cost garlic, vanilla, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne.
As prices continue to climb — can you believe a single Granny Smith apple or yellow onion now can cost a buck or more? — I imagine it will become harder than ever to create menus that are interesting, taste great and are easy on your wallet.
But at least egg prices are finally coming down!
Cochinada Tacos
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground chorizo
6 corn tortillas
1/2 white onion, chopped
Chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Lime wedges
Salsa, for serving (recipe follows)
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
Add beef and chorizo, and saute for 10 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden brown. Transfer 3/4 of the mixture to a plate, and cook the remainder of the mixture until it is dark brown, about 5 minutes. (This is the cochinada.)
Heat a skillet over high heat for 5 minutes.
Add tortillas, flipping them continuously for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
Transfer to a plate. Top each tortilla with browned meat and a spoonful of cochinada. Serve with onion, cilantro, lime wedges and salsa.
Makes 6 generous tacos.
— adapted from “Sunny Days, Taco Nights”
Chile de Arbol Salsa
This is spicy — very spicy! To tame, you can add more tomatoes or cut the number of chiles.
1 ounce árbol chiles, rinsed and stemmed
Water, as needed
2 large plum tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a medium pot, add chiles de arbol and enough water to completely cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add 3/4 cup of fresh water, tomatoes, garlic and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
Taste and add more salt as needed.
— isabeleats.com
Easy Guacamole
Rich in healthful fats, guacamole is a heart-healthy appetizer, especially if you serve it with sliced vegetables instead of chips. You can omit the cumin and/or cilantro if you’re not a fan.
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
Pinch of cumin
1/2 jalapeno chile, stem and seeds removed, minced, optional
Juice 1/2 lime
Generous pinch kosher salt and black pepper
Generous pinch Piment d’Espelette
1/2 small tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks, for serving
Cut avocado in half and remove seeds. Scoop flesh into a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. (You want a few small chunks.)
Add onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chile and lime juice; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Piment d’Espelette. Add more lime juice, if desired.
Just before serving, stir in chopped tomato.
Serve with carrot sticks
Serves 2.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette
Mexican Brownies
Cinnamon and cayenne pepper add a spicy finish to these easy-to-make brownies. Add a sprinkle of flaked salt after baking for an extra kick of flavor, if desired.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch processed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flaky sea salt, for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8- by- 8-inch pan or 9- by- 5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment or foil; set aside.
In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add butter and microwave for 1 minute or until completely melted. Add sugar and cocoa powder and whisk vigorously for at least 1 minute, until the sugar has dissolved.
Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and whisk for at least 1 minute, until well combined and batter is shiny.
Stir in flour and spices until the flour is fully combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Spread in pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the center is slightly set. Be careful not to over-bake!
Cool completely and cut into 9 large squares.
— adapted from gimmedelicious.com