This was another recipe I tested for Superbowl Sunday this year. I found it while perusing through the site of a fellow Project Pastry Queen blogger, Pink Parsley. She sold me with her raves about how simple and yummy these tacos were. The addition of sauteed shitake mushrooms and grated potatoes to a fatty and flavorful meat sounded too good to pass up. An additional bonus was the fact that the recipe belongs to Ray's secret man chef-crush, Rick Bayless.
I went to Wholefoods for my grocery shopping and unfortunately, they weren't making fresh chorizo that day. I had to quickly google "homemade chorizo" on the iphone and found a ton of recipes using ingredients I had at home: fresh garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, etc. I decided to buy some ground pork and attempt to make the chorizo myself.
Chorizo, Potato, and Mushroom Tacos
Adapted from Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
12 oz. chorizo, casings removed
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
6 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (shitake is recommended)
12 oz. (approx. 3 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, coarsely grated
Salt to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
corn tortillas, warmed
Directions:
My attempt at homemade chorizo: ground pork, paprika, fresh chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
Crumble chorizo in a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until sausage is half cooked. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion and mushrooms; continue to cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 3 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
Sprinkle potatoes into skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Season to taste with salt. Transfer mixture into a bowl and top with cilantro.
Serve in warm corn tortillas. Rick Bayless recommends a tomatillo salsa but since I didn't have any, I made a quick onion salsa using fresh chopped white onions, vinegar, sugar and salt to serve on top.
Notes
So Ray wasn't a fan of these tacos - they were good but not Superbowl Sunday good. I agreed and opted not to use it for the party. I will definitely stick to the store-bought chorizo next time. These spices just didn't cut it and my meat was lacking the bold and rich flavors you would normally get with the store version. Meat aside, the mushrooms and potatoes were a delicious addition and a welcomed change to the more traditional beef tacos. I will definitely make this dish again with the following modifications:
1) Use store-bought chorizo
2) Pan fry the potatoes in some olive oil first to brown and crisp them up.
3) Sprinkle some Mexican cheese or feta on top for some extra tang and flavor.