Crispy and crunchy, or soft and brothy, or crispy and brothy, or... have it your way.
No matter how you choose to eat these, they are beyond what you'd expect in a taquito. Not only is the meat perfectly seasoned and moist, the broth really takes it above and beyond.
Let's get cookin'
Along with the chuck roast you'll need, carrots, garlic, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, tomato, and salt.
Just a heads up, put the peppercorns in a spice bag or cheesecloth, that way they are easier to deal with later, trust me on this.
I made this in the electric pressure cooker rather than on the stovetop, so once the meat was cooked and drained (reserving the broth) I cooked the potatoes in the broth.
The meat is enhanced with mashed potatoes and refried beans. Believe me, this adds creaminess, moistness, and flavor to the meat.
By now the smell is driving you crazy so let's fry them up.
Heat up the corn tortillas a bit, just enough to soften them so they won't crack when you roll the taquitos. Line up the filling in the softened tortilla, roll it up and secure it with toothpicks before frying.
What would I do differently next time? you ask!
I wouldn't have cut the meat into such small pieces before cooking. It was a pain in the neck to fish the meat pieces out of the strainer after I drained the broth, next time I'll cut the roast into 4 large pieces.
Also, I think I would cook the meat on the stove. As delicious as the broth from the pressure cooker was, I think it would be richer and reduced more had I cooked it on the stove, also I could have just thrown the potatoes in with the simmering meat rather than after the broth was drained.
I hope you make this, you won't regret it.
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Drowned Crispy Taquitos
Ingredients
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For the taquitos:
2 pounds beef chuck roast, rump roast or other stewing meats, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 white onion, halved
10 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 Roma tomato
2 carrots, cut into large pieces
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
1 cup refried pinto beans
40 corn tortillas
Wooden toothpicks
Vegetable oil, for frying
To Serve:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
1 cup Mexican crema
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Pickled red onions*
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Directions
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Place the meat, onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, chiles, peppercorns, tomato, carrots, and salt in a large casserole or soup pot. Fill with water until covered by at least an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, skim off any foam that may formed on top, and cover and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Add the potatoes, and continue simmering for another 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the meat is easy to shred and the potatoes are fork tender.
Transfer the meat and potatoes to a large bowl. Strain the broth into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about another 30 minutes until reduced slightly.
Meanwhile, place the meat on a cutting board and finely chop. Mash the potatoes in the bowl, and add the refried beans and chopped meat. Mix until combined and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a comal or a dry skillet over medium heat until hot. Heat the tortillas on the comal or skillet for about 30 to 40 seconds per side; this will prevent them from breaking when rolling them into taquitos. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded beef on one side of each tortilla and roll them up tightly, inserting a wooden toothpick through the seam to hold them together. You can insert a toothpick through 2 to 3 taquitos at a time, so they will fry evenly and hold their shape. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Fill another heavy pan or large casserole with about an inch of oil. Heat over medium heat for at least 5 minutes before frying the taquitos.
Once the oil is hot, gently drop in the taquitos in batches, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Fry them until they have crisped and turned golden, about 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip and repeat on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the taquitos from the oil and put them on a plate or tray lined with paper towels.
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To serve, place 3 to 4 taquitos on a rimmed plate. Top with shredded cabbage, crema, queso fresco, and pickled red onions. Pour hot broth onto the taquitos and serve drowned! Or, you can serve the broth on the side for dunking, or for people to drown the taquitos as they please.
Pati Jinich
*Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca
1 cup bitter orange juice or its substitute
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 banana pepper or jalapeño, roasted, broiled, or charred
Place the bitter orange juice in a mixing bowl along with the black pepper, allspice and salt; mix well. Stir in the red onions and bay leaves.
Char or broil the pepper under the broiler, on the grill, on a hot comal, or in a dry skillet set over medium heat, turning once or twice, until the skin is lightly charred, 3 to 6 minutes.
Add the pepper, without removing the charred skin, to the onion mixture and toss well to combine. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes to 2 hours, then store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Pati Jinich
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And that's that!