Steak, suadero (beef tripe), carnitas (pork), tripa, shrimp, barbecue, fish or the traditional taco placero (a taco filled with pork rinds, cheese and avocado), among many others, are ideal to accompany this Taco Day, a celebration that allows us to enhance the cultural value of this emblematic dish of Mexican cuisine.
The Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Mexico (Sectur) invites people to celebrate this day, which has been celebrated every March 31st since 2007, as a way of extolling this world-famous dish.
“Tacos give us a national identity; we all eat them in general, everyone who lives in Mexico eats tacos regardless of religion, nationality or social class, so much so that the Michelin Guide awarded a star to a taqueria, which means a star for the establishment in Mexico where a taco is cooked, thus paying tribute to each of the thousands of taquerías in the country. It is a recognition of the value and tradition of the dish that is our homeland and that we can enjoy at any time,” said Mexican chef Aquiles Chávez.
The chef loves pork tacos with purslane sauce; “the taco of my life is the one with tripa, an eye, a cheek, suadero [a type of meat] and one most overlooked is the one with al pastor [pork in a spicy sauce]. Aquiles Chávez prepares a taco with a short rib filling, accompanied by morita chili sauce accompanied by taco salad made with cucumber, radish, onion, manzano chili and lime. “I designed it for my son Aquiles, who loves tacos; he’s a taco addict just like his dad.”
And the fact is, he continued, “before going abroad, as a Mexican, you were identified by ‘El Chicharito’ or by Checo Pérez; now you are associated with the taco, which is the most wonderful thing that exists in this world”.
“Tacos give us identity, a homeland; they unite us and make us equal,” the chef emphasized. “The way you hold your taco is how you know if you’re a good eater or not. The technique for holding a taco is to be well seated, comfortable, at ease, with the right company and enjoying the tacos we like the most, whether they are called tacones, takuches, taquitos, taquechis, or tlacuaches. There are tacos for every moment and time of day. For breakfast, I love the stew taco,” he concluded.
For her part, chef Andrea Lizárraga, originally from Mazatlán, recognizes that National Taco Day is her favorite day.
“Tacos are unity, they are life, they have no social class and they can be prepared with the food you like the most. In Mazatlán, we have our own style, but the elements are the same: corn base, a protein on top, covered with a sauce, and a spicy element that makes the taco. We are proud to have created the taco gobernador, although my favorite taco is the one with tongue, I must admit, then the seafood ones, she said.
She further explained that Mexico has an extensive diversity of tacos in their different presentations: longaniza (sausage), steamed, al pastor (on the spit), in slices, with lemongrass like the Nao; while in Mazatlán there are also breaded tacos, soft marlin tacos, and sweaty tacos. You can make anything into a food
Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytán says that the taco is an iconic Mexican dish that is known all over the world: “When you think of Mexican cuisine, you think of a taco. For me, it’s taking a perfect bite into your mouth: tortilla, protein, acidity and spiciness.”
Gaytán explained that, in his native Huitzuco, Guerrero, they use a meat known as pelibuey, which is a mixture of lamb and goat.
“In the U.S., we can’t get pelibuey, and we use lamb. To cook barbecue tacos, we only need lamb necks. We pair them with a mixture of avocado leaves, orange juice, and salsa macha. We wrap them in maguey leaves in a steamer. At the bottom, we put water and we put it on a medium heat for four hours.”
“While they are cooking, blue corn tortillas are prepared, well made and well cooked. The barbecue is served on one of them as well as chiles in vinegar with nanche, carrot and onion, which gives it sweetness and goes well with the lamb barbecue. There is also an avocado mousse with serrano chili, roasted garlic, and coriander. All these elements contribute a delicious texture,” he said.
Carlos Gaytán’s celebration of National Taco Day will be in New Orleans, where he will be cooking with chef Atzin Santos: “We will each prepare three tacos. Mine are oyster tacos with purple cabbage and habanero mayonnaise, octopus with pickled vegetables and macha sauce, and barbecue tacos, pickled radishes, mousse and coriander.”
Chef Sergio Camacho recognizes the taco as the most beautiful dish in Mexican cuisine, explaining that it is an emblematic dish that has the three products that Mexico gives to the world: corn tortilla, the base of this dish; a stew, because Mexican cuisine is all about stews; and it ends with the most important part, the sauce. The taco “is a thing of beauty and should be eaten in the moment.” One of the recipes the chef prepares is breaded milanesa taco with amaranth and pepita, served with salsa crushed with avocado leaf. Sergio Camacho loves the tongue ones and will celebrate this date in Oaxaca, a state renowned for its ingredients and gastronomic culture.
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