I used to work near LAX, which is near El Segundo. There was this little Mexican restaurant in El Segundo called El Tarasco. (I don’t know if it’s the same one that can be found with google. ISTR it was kind of up on a hill. They could have moved in the past 16 years.) I loved their carnitas tacos. Two steamed corn tortillas, filled with carnitas and topped with guacamole. The guacamole had jalapeños in it so it was spicy, and there was a good amount of cilantro.
I’ve tried and tried to find carnitas tacos as good, but I can’t. The meat tastes the same wherever I go, but the guacamole is never ‘right’. No one seems to put jalapeños in their guacamole, and the cilantro and onions don’t seem the same. I can’t remember if the cilantro and onions were mixed in with the guac or not. Anyone have an awesome jalapeño-packed guacamole recipe?
Try rinsing the chopped white onion in running water before you add it to the guac. That reduces the bite of the onion and keeps it from dominating. One thing I like is to use the pickled jalapenos rather than the fresh ones, the acidity works well with the avocado.
This is going to sound stupid, I know, so I apologize in advance, but couldn’t you just use a guacamole recipe you like and add jalapenos?
Guacamole is such a simple creation and I don’t use a recipe at all, it’s easy to add what you like, skip what you don’t. When I make it, I do use lots of fresh cilantro mixed in and onions. Sometimes I add some peppers, but mostly I don’t.
I have made my “standard” guacamole with fresh jalapenos (never tried pickled but that would be good too) when I wanted a little extra bite, but more often I have used serrano chiles.
About a decade ago my wife made a shredded pork roast (roast? loin? i never know this stuff) marinated with jalapenos and other stuff and made tacos with it, and it’s the best thing I may have ever eaten…I lived off it for about a week. Since then she’s tried to duplicate it, but it’s never been exactly the same. But maybe that’s just my expectations.
Because that’s the beauty of the English language (or any language, really). You borrow what you want to, bastardize what you want to, or translate what you want to.
“Tacos al pastor” here are often called “al pastor tacos.” “Tacos de carnitas” becomes “carnitas tacos.” Grilled skirt tacos become “carne asada tacos.” There’s nothing wrong with this.
Because ‘carnitas’ means pork cooked in a certain way. Why not say ‘pork taco’? Because ‘pork’ could mean roast pork, fried pork, boiled pork, pork chops, stewed pork, minced or ground pork, etc. ‘Carnitas’ means carnitas-style pork. But if you really want to get anal, why say ‘taco’? Why not ‘wrap’ or ‘unlevened corn disc sandwich’?
In any case, carnitas aren’t the issue. It’s that I can’t seem to find a taco stand that makes guacamole as good as El Tarasco did, and which they used on their carnitas tacos.
I had some AMAZING pork tacos at this new BBQ place up the road apiece last night. Not very Mexican (Southern chopped pork) but oh god good. Chipotle sauce, chunky guacamole, tomatoes… mmmm.
As for the guac, my basic guac recipe (and probably the most common one around here) basically is a pico de gallo with avocado. I don’t have exact measurement, but you basically start with fork-mashed avocados and some finely chopped garlic, and mix in chopped fresh tomatoes, finely diced onions, lime juice, cilantro, and hot peppers to taste. You can go easy on the tomatoes.
This Rick Bayless recipe is pretty close to what I do (see the luxurious variation.)
Basically: For each avocado, about a clove of garlic, and a quarter cup or so of pico de gallo. Finish by adjusting salt, lime, and heat to taste.
Even though Guac is the real issue here… anyone have a good recipe for the Carnitas? I’ve got a work at home day tomorrow and a crock pot and think this would be a great welcome home for the wife and kids.
I usually get my carnitas from a taqueria. At home I do this:
Cut a pork roast into 2-inch cubes. Sear on all sides in a cast-iron skillet. Preheat the oven to 325º. Toss the pork with kosher salt, several cloves of minced garlic, and chopped onions. Return to the skillet and put it in the oven for a couple of hours. Shred with a fork.