Awesome Tacos

Today’s class at Hill’s Kitchen was Mastering Tacos:  The Secret of Awesome.  And AWESOME they were indeed, the four tacos we made.

I love good tacos.  But in all my years of cooking, I have never made them.  They have always been one of those foods we ate out.  

I must say that today’s tacos were definitely a cut above most Tex-Mex fare.  In fact, they were nothing short of amazing with all their marinades and sauces and toppings.

Here was the menu for today:

-- Tacos al Pastor.  These are the legacy of immigrants to Mexico from Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.  Our variety featured a slowly roasted pork roast topped with pineapple.  The assembled taco is then topped with minced red onion, cilantro, and salsa verde.

-- Tacos de Carne Asada:  For these we marinated a flank steak, which was later grilled and then thinly sliced.  They were served with ripe avocado slices, picco de gallo, and a slice of lime.

-- Southern California fish tacos:  Breaded and fried chunks of mahi-mahi were the staple of this taco.  A cumin-flavored slaw of purple cabbage, chopped red onion, cilantro leaves, and Mexican crema were the perfect accompaniments for the succulent bites of fried fish.

-- Tacos de Frijoles Negros:  These vegetarian tacos combined black beans with spicy pickled onions, crumbly Mexican hard cheese, and chopped cilantro.  The assembled tacos are then quickly sauteed on both sides before being served.

To accompany all this spicy, flavorful food, we had a drink made of hibiscus flowers, sugar, and vodka.  It’s a good think there was enough for just one glass.

This class may well have been the best ever.  But then I say that every time.  I’m saddened by the fact that our chef-teacher Brock will be taking off mid-June for a year in Thailand.   While there he will be offering cooking tours which sound like incredible fun.  I hope I can take advantage of this opportunity to learn ethnic cooking on-site.

But my immediate plan is to make AWESOME tacos for some people I like a lot, since now I know the secret!