Taco Shell 101

Ok, let's get down to business. Tacos are ubiquitous, nearly every U.S. family makes them, and in a house with plenty of venison, we certainly keep tacos on our menu rotation. But few people understand the Tao of the taco shell.

Today is the day we change that and improve your life dramatically - ok, at least your taco life.

The best taco shell is a fried corn tortilla, hands down. If you've never had a fried corn tortilla taco shell, it's an extra step in your taco night cooking process, but like someone who knows a little something about taste once said: 

 "Too much trouble," "Too expensive," or "Who will know the difference" are death knells for good food.    - Julia Child

First, let's compare the taco shell alternatives:

- Hard taco shells, possibly one of the most impractical food-carrying devices ever created. First, when you open the package, at least two are already busted. The others will fall apart upon first bite. If you are really lucky, a shard of hard taco shell will stab you in the roof of your mouth as you are eating. Plus, they taste like cardboard. Dangerous and gross, avoid at all costs.

- Soft flour tortillas. Again, there really isn't any detectable good flavor in a flour tortilla (talking about supermarket tortillas here - I'm sure your abuelita makes amazing homemade flour tortillas). They taste a little bit like a dust rag, actually, or at least what I imagine a dust rag to taste like. There is no texture happening, so when you are eating them, you end up with this doughy mouthfeel, and too often, you end up with a bad tortilla/filling ratio, because people buy the massive burrito sized ones for taco night and fold up the ends and, well, that just changes the whole thing.

Sidenote: if you have an experience like mine at Panchero's and they rip the flour tortilla while mixing your burrito filling, and you see that instead of remaking it, they are going to just wrap it all up in yet another tortilla, be strong and tell them no. I speak from experience, a two-tortilla-wrapped burrito is disgusting. 

- Raw corn tortillas. You have purchased corn tortillas, olé! If you made the tortillas yourself, you are amazing and need to send me some immediately. If you live in a large city or Hispanic community, you maybe got them fresh at a nearby tortilleria - lucky ducky you. Otherwise, I'm assuming you purchased them from a supermarket. But eating a corn tortilla without frying it is kinda like eating cold cereal without milk. I suppose you could develop a taste for it, but it's going to be dry and not anything someone could call delicious.

But a fried corn tortilla, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.

1) Texture. Frying crisps them up, but unless you get carried away and fry them hard, they'll still retain a softness, something you can sink your teeth into. And no more stab wounds in your gums from hard taco shell shards!

2) Flavor. The whole concept that the tortilla should have flavor vs. being a dusty cardboard vehicle for fillings is what lifts up your taco dinner to higher heights. No longer is the filling bearing the sole burden of flavor delivery - the shell is doing its part now too, creating a better taste experience.To me, a corn tortilla has more flavor that a flour tortilla, and fat is flavor, period. A fried tortilla is going to taste better than an unfried one.

3) Temperature. You will serve your fried corn tortillas still warm from the frying pan and your family will thank you endlessly for it.

Ready to shake up taco night? Here's how to fry corn tortillas.

1) In a cast iron pan, heat a good 1/4" of oil (more if you are feeling extravagant) in a cast iron pan over medium to medium-high heat until it shimmers. I typically use canola oil for this.

2) Now it's time to fry. I'm sure there are many schools of thought on how best to do this - this is my method. Slide the flat tortilla in the hot oil, frying for about 15-20 seconds or until you see the edges start to get a little golden. As always, with hot oil, be careful as it can splatter. The tortilla will puff up a bit from the heat - that's fine. Then turn the tortilla over in the hot oil to fry the other side, but immediately start making that taco shell crease by partially folding it in half in the pan. I hold a butter knife near the crease and use a spatula to flip the tortilla over the top, holding it in place with the spatula while I fry the outside of the shell.  Fry one side for about 20 seconds, depending on how hot your oil is and how crisp you want it, then fry the other side of the folded tortilla until golden. (I often start the next tortilla while the previous one is finishing frying.)

3) Let any excess oil drip off, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the next tortilla. Serve warm.

It takes a little practice, but soon you'll be frying tortillas without even thinking about it - and you will do this again and again, because once you see the corn tortilla light, there is no going back to the dark side.

Egg and Kale Tacos
The tacos in the photo at the top of the post come from this recipe. I like a good venison taco as much as the next gal, but I LOVE eggs and greens. I could eat these at 8 am or 8 pm, breakfast, lunch and dinner - with the fried tortillas, of course. Wondering what to do with the kale stems? I save them and juice them in my occasional fruit/veg juice concoctions. 

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1/2 a medium onion, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
6 eggs
A handful of grape tomatoes, halved
Fried corn tortillas (see post above for directions)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cilantro, sour cream, queso fresco and/or hot sauce for toppings

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño with a pinch of salt and saute until softened and onion just starting to brown, about 6 mins. Add kale and cook, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes, then add about 3 Tbls. of water to the pan and cover with a lid to soften the kale further, simmering for another 3-5 minutes. When kale is softened, remove from pan.

Heat a little more olive oil in empty pan. Add eggs, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, softly stirring at first to scramble. When the eggs are coming together, push them aside and add tomatoes to empty space. When tomatoes are slightly softened and eggs are cooked, mix together.

Meanwhile, when you've started the eggs, get your tortilla frying oil warmed up and fry tortillas just before serving. Fill warm fried tortillas with eggs, kale and toppings and serve.