Here are my tacos from Wednesday night from Tallulah's Taqueria in Providence RI. I got one carne asada, two Al pastor and one carnitas. The carnitas was on a side plate and got eaten before I remembered to take a photo. Family got chicken tacos and burritos, and rice and bean tacos. The second photo is the family's favorite black beans.
So first my family's takeaway. The chicken is like my grilled chicken, but they said mine is much better. Then they all shared they like the rotisserie chicken for tacos better then either mine or their grilled chicken. They do still love the beans, which I can recreate, so that is my task. I am going to start with Rich's post and the reference he gave to serious eats
here.
Then they decided together that the reason we went on a taco extravaganza before come to Providence was so I could prove to them that my tacos were better. I told them it was a total coincidence and it was because I had the time that I needed with the long weekend, they didn't believe it.
Now, my takeaways, the first is the shell, their are so much better than store bought and make the meal. My soccer players were telling me about a local store that sells there own homemade corn tortillas that all their families use. I am going to go get them, then I am getting myself a press and working to learn to make homemade flour and corn tortillas in the next year. It is going to be the year of dough.
Thier carne asada was different then the medium rare thin sliced after cooking tacos I have made in the last year, I like both, but a major part of me likes their better. I am thinking about thin slicing a flap meat steak up before cooking, marinading it and then grilling/CI griddling in and seeing the results. Next, the carnatas (no photos), the recipe that
Rich and I worked on together last year, with him taking the lead, was way better and an amazing recipe I recommend everyone who loves tacos to make.
Last the Al pastor, every time I get tacos out, I get and have loved the Al pastor. I made it once, but it was literally the most work of any meal I have made and I put a lot of work into a lot of meals so that is saying something. When I did it I did it on the rotisserie and sliced layer after layer of meat. It was ok but not as good as these tacos. There was no spit/rotisserie in this kitchen... When I have shown my cooking photos to my latina soccer players they have all said "Al pastor is my favorite taco my mom makes, but she doesn't make it like that she uses the stove and the oven." I have been thinking about those comments for the last two days. How can I recreate Al pastor without all the work!?!? That takes me to the recipe I use for
Filipino pork shoulder skewers were I thin sliced a pork shoulder marinade them and grilled them. Could I do something like this for Al pastor? I think so? Could I do a braise first then a sear? I have those three pork steaks in the freezer at home, could I do something with those? I think I am going to keep researching and try something when I get home...