Tacos de Canasta

Discover the authentic taste of Mexico with Tacos de Canasta, also known as Basket Tacos or Sweated Tacos. These tantalizing treats, filled with a variety of flavorful stews and sweated to perfection in an insulated basket, make for a perfect street food experience or a delightful meal at home. Gather your friends and family, as this recipe is a fun and flavorful group activity!

Ingredients

For the Seasoned Oil:
🫒 0.5 liters + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, generic cooking oil
🧄 2 cloves garlic
🧅 1 piece white onion
🌶️ 6 guajillo chiles, deveined, cleaned, and seedless
🧂 0.5 teaspoon salt

For the Tacos:
🌮 Tortillas: small, medium, or desired size
🧅 4 large red onions, finely sliced

Suggested Guisados (Fillings) - prepared beforehand:
🍗 Mole verde with chicken
🐖 Chicharrón prensado, pressed pork rinds
🫘 Frijoles puercos, pork beans
🥔 Papas con chorizo, potatoes with chorizo

Serving Accompaniments:
🥑 Green avocado salsa, chunky
🥑 Smooth crude green salsa, tomatillo-based with avocado
🌶️ Chiles curados, pickled jalapeños and carrots

Instructions

1- Prepare the Basket:

• Line a medium wicker basket with a thick cloth (e.g., a checkered towel), add two thick plastic bags, and finish with pink butcher paper.
• Ensure the interior is completely covered to create insulation.

2- Prepare the Seasoned Oil:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a stainless steel pot over low heat. Add garlic cloves and onion, frying until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside.
• Fry guajillo chiles in the same oil until they change color, being careful not to burn them. Remove and cool slightly.
• Transfer chiles, frying oil, garlic, and onion to an Oster blender. Add 0.5 teaspoon salt and the remaining 0.5 liters of vegetable oil. Blend until smooth.
• Strain the blended oil through a fine-mesh strainer back into the pot. Keep warm over medium heat.

3- Assemble the Tacos:

• Take a warm tortilla and spoon a desired amount of any guisado onto it. Fold to form a taco. Repeat this process for all desired fillings, creating small batches.

4- Layer Tacos in the Basket:

• Arrange assembled tacos in layers within the prepared basket, grouping by filling type.
• Sprinkle red onions over each taco layer, then drizzle the warm seasoned oil evenly.
• Cover layers with pink paper and plastic bags. Continue until all tacos are layered.

5- Rest the Tacos:

• Cover the tacos tightly with plastic bags, paper, and a thick cloth. Allow to rest for about 1 hour. This allows the tacos to "sweat" and meld flavors, staying warm and moist.

Prep Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 40 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour
Servings: Depending on tortilla count and guisado amount
Equipment:
🧺 Medium wicker basket
🧻 Thick cloth, e.g., red and white checkered
🛍️ Thick plastic bags, 2
📜 Pink butcher paper or similar wrapping
🍲 Stainless steel saucepan/pot
🔥 Portable gas stove
🥄 Wooden spatula
🥣 Ceramic bowls, various sizes for fillings and salsas
🥄 Metal serving spoons
📦 Oster blender
🍽️ Terra cotta/ceramic serving plate
🧺 Green wicker tortilla basket

Cooking Tips

• Fry ingredients at low temperatures to avoid burning.
• Ensure fillings are thick to prevent leakage.
• The preparation can be a fun team activity, much like making tamales.
• Keep similar filling types together for organization.

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Chef Rogelio Lara: https://www.youtube.com/@ChefRogelioLara

#chefrogeliolara

Tacos de Canasta