Happy Cinco de Mayo!
This past March, Art of Catering Food (held in Orlando, FL.) took the time to talk tacos when Roy Porter and a stellar lineup of chefs (Phuoc Vo, Keyon Hammond, and Paul Buchanan) took a deconstructed look at handheld favorite–the tortilla, the fillings, and the toppings. Following the session, attendees then went next door to enjoy a meal the chefs had prepared, while also getting some one-one discussion time with the chefs. Vo also encouraged attendees to try their hand at making their own tortillas.
Here are a few of the recipes that attendees enjoyed to help you celebrate today. Enjoy!
Three Tortilla Styles
Recipe courtesy Phuoc Vo, CBK Catering & Events
Ingredients for Flour Tortillas
Yield: 16
2½ cups all prupose flour
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
3 T lard, vegetable shortening
¾ cup plus 1 T
warm water
Method
- Mix everything but water until you get a cornmeal texture with flour.
- Add water gradually and mix until it comes together.
- On a floured surface, knead until smooth.
- Cover and rest dough for 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 16 even pieces or 35 g per piece.
- Roll into balls. Flatten them with a rolling pin or a tortilla press, ⅛ inch thick.
- Preheat cast iron (or comal) at about 500F. Sear in a cast iron pan (or coral) until it puffs up.
- Rotate until the other side is cooked.
- Store in a tortilla warmer or two clean towels.
Ingredients for Corn Tortillas
Yield: 12
2 cups Masa harina
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
1¼ cup plus 1 T+ (as needed) warm water
Method
- Mix everything but water until you get a cornmeal texture.
- Add water gradually and mix until it comes together.
- With your hands, knead the dough until it’s soft and tacky but not sticky. If mixture is dry and crumbly, add more water 1 T at a time.
- Do this until you get a Play-doh texture.
- Cover with a damp towel for five minutes so the masa harina can hydrate.
- Prep your tortilla press with a opened zip top bag.
- Line plate with two damp dish towels.
- Divide dough into 12 even pieces and roll into a ball.
- Heat cast iron or comal over medium heat until oil begins to shimmer.
- Press with tortilla press and cook on first side for 45 seconds, flip and cook for another minute, flip back over and you will see it begin to puff as it cooks for another 30 seconds.
- Place between the damp towels and continue to cook. They will continue to steam and stay soft.
Ingredients for Quinoa Flour Tortillas
Yield: 16
3½ cups flour + 1 T quinoa flour
2/3 cup fine rice flour (non-glutinous)
1 tsp olive oil
1½ cup warm water
1 tsp salt
Method
- Mix everything but the water until you get a cornmeal texture.
- Add the warm water.
- Take a wooden spoon or spatula and mix until it comes together.
- With your hands, knead the dough by hand or a dough hook into a consistent dough forms.
- Shape into a dough ball.
- When the dough is a little bit sticky, add 1-2 T of quinoa flour to the dough.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal parts and roll into balls.
- Put the balls back in the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out.
- Heat cast iron or coral over medium heat until oil begins to shimmer.
- Press with tortilla press and cook on first side for 45 seconds, flip and cook for another minute, flip back over and you will see it begin to puff as it cooks for another 30 seconds.
- Place between the damp towels and continue to cook. They will continue to steam and stay soft.
Roasted Root Vegetable Tacos
Recipe courtesy Keyon Hammond, Get Plated
Yield: 75
Ingredients for Roasted Root Vegetable Taco Filling
4 lbs russet potatoes, medium diced
4 lbs carrots, medium diced
2 lb white onion, medium diced
1½ lbs sweet peppers, seeded and medium diced
1 lb poblano chiles, seeded and medium diced
¼ cup minced garlic
3 bunches baby kale, rough chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped with stem on
2 oz lime juice
½ cup olive oil
5 T smoked paprika
3 T ground cumin
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
1 T chili powder
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- In a large bowl mix all ingredients together except for baby kale. Toss until well combined then transfer vegetables to a foil lined sheet tray. Roast uncovered in the oven at 400° F for 30-40 minutes turning frequently to avoid burning.
- Using the same mixing bowl add kale and toss with the remaining marinade then transfer to a foil lined sheet tray. Roast uncovered for eight to 10 minutes, remove and set aside. Once root vegetables have been roasted and cooled, fold in baby kale.
Ingredients for Vegan Scallion Crema
1½ qt vegan sour cream
4 T lime juice
1 cup fresh green onion, chopped
1 T garlic powder
2 tsp cumin
¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
To taste kosher salt To taste ground pepper
Method
- Place all ingredients in vitamix, blend on high speed for 30-45 seconds. Check flavor, adjust if needed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle for service.
Guajillo Braised Lamb Loin Taco
Recipe courtesy Keyon Hammond, Get Plated
Yield: 75
Ingredients for Lamb Loin
15 lbs cleaned lamb loin, ready to cook
15 ea. dried guajillo peppers
3 ea. large yellow onions, chopped
½ cup garlic, chopped
3 T smoked paprika
2 T chili powder
1½ T cumin
1 T coriander
To taste kosher salt
To taste ground black pepper
3 qts beef stock
2 cups red wine
Method
-
Season lamb loin with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and coriander.
-
Using a large braiser, sear lamb loin until browned, then remove. Add onions, garlic, and guajillo peppers, sauté until onions are brown and soft.
-
Deglaze with red wine, using a wooden spoon. Scrape fond from bottom of pan.
-
Add beef stock and bring to a simmer, then thicken with slurry to make sauce nappe.
-
Add loin back to pan, cover with parchment paper and lid. Transfer large braiser to 300° F oven and braise for four hours or until lamb loin is tender and flavorful.
Ingredients for Pickled Radishes
3 lb breakfast radish, trimmed & sliced thin on mandolin
1 large white onion, julienned
3 cups white sugar
3 cups white vinegar
4 T kosher salt
¼ cup fresh dill sprigs
4 T whole pink peppercorn or black
Method
-
In medium cambro combine radishes, dill, and onion. In a medium mixing bowl combine sugar, salt, peppercorns, and vinegar mix well until sugar and salt are both dissolved. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour brine over radishes, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours (aroma will be pungent when the lid is removed).
Syrian Seven Spiced Birria Tacos
Recipe courtesy Keyon Hammond, Get Plated
Yield: 150
Ingredients for Bharat Braised Lamb Shoulder
30 lbs boneless lamb shoulder cut into 2-3 lb pieces
8 ea. large yellow onions, quartered
2 cups peeled garlic cloves, chopped
4 ea. large carrots, large diced
1 head celery, large diced
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 ea. bay leaves
2 cups red wine
1 gal veal demi glace
½ lb beef base paste
2 gal water
1 ea. #10 can diced tomato in juice
5 T smoked paprika
3 T ground cumin
3 T ground coriander
2 T ground cardamom
2 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 T ground cinnamon
To taste ground black pepper
To taste kosher salt
1 cup olive oil
Method
- In a large mixing bowl combine lamb with ½ cup olive oil and all dry spices. Toss and massage spices into lamb, cover with plastic film, refrigerate and marinate for 24-48 hours.
- Using a large braiser or all-clad rondeau over medium high heat begin sweating mirepoix, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves until onions just begin to brown about five minutes then remove.
- Next adjust flame to medium high heat and begin searing lamb shoulder in batches, sear all sides of lamb until golden brown in color. After all the lamb has been seared and removed from rondeau, begin deglazing the pan with red wine using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the fond.
- Now add veal demi, water, beef base, diced tomato with juice, and bring to a simmer. Check flavor and adjust seasoning accordingly, add lamb and all aromatics back to the rondeau cover with parchment paper and lid. Place the braiser in a 300° F oven, cook for three hours or until tender and flavorful.
- Once the lamb shoulder has finished cooking, remove from sauce and allow to cool at room temperature, lightly shred lamb. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Ingredients for Black Limi Chili Consomme
3 ea. yellow onions, diced
1 cup minced garlic
2 heads fennel, chopped
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
3 ea. bay leaves
½ cup ground Aleppo pepper
2 T smoked paprika
To taste kosher salt
To taste ground black pepper
2 ea. black limes (use mortar or coffee grinder to ground)
3 gal lamb braising liquid
Method
- In a large stock pot sweat onions and garlic for two to three minutes then add dry spices and continue cooking until the onions are light brown and tender. Next stir in tomato paste and cook for one minute.
All photos courtesy Catersource staff
