Tag: Latin American
Smoked Chicken Tacos
Smoked Chicken Tacos
Tacos are always a great idea when thinking of what to eat. I happened to have some chicken thighs and felt that it was taco time. I wanted to do a little more then just chop the thighs up and sauté them. So I smoked them. They don’t need to be brined, but I recommend marinating the thighs overnight for optimal flavor. Smoke the thighs at 250 degrees for 2 hours until the thighs reach 180 degrees internal temperature.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp guajillo chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Smoked Chicken Tacos
- corn tortillas
- white onion/green onion/cilantro mix
- smoked salsa
Wood Chips
- mesquite wood chips
Instructions
- Mix the dry rub ingredients together.
- Coat the chicken thighs in vegetable oil. Season with all of the dry rub. Marinate overnight for best result.
- Let the chicken thighs rest at room temp for an hour before smoking.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Smoke the chicken thighs for 2 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees.
- Let the thighs rest for 15 minutes before chopping.
- Dice the chicken thighs.
Smoked Salsa
Why not smoke the ingredients that go into a salsa? If I’m making smoked carnitas tacos, I have plenty of time to smoke jalapeños, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I think I’ll keep smoking and continue to come up with these great ideas. Smokedy, smokedy, smokedy…Also, this salsa will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- food processor
Ingredients
- 5 Roma tomatoes
- 1 head garlic left whole
- 1 medium white onion peeled; sliced in half horizontally
- 4 jalapeños
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Wood Chips
- hickory wood chips
- pecan wood chips
Instructions
- Arrange the vegetables on the smokers rack.
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the rack in the smoker.
- The garlic and onions will take 2 hours to smoke. The tomatoes and jalapeños will take 4 hours. Let cool before pureeing.
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Make sure to peel the garlic.
- Blend until it reaches the consistency of your liking.
Curtido
Curtido
Curtido is a slightly fermented Salvadoran cabbage slaw that is eaten with practically everything all over Central America. The cabbage is slightly wilted with boiling water, rinsed with cold water, then mixed with julienned carrots, onion, jalapeño, oregano, vinegar, sugar and salt. Typically the curtido is left out overnight covered to slightly ferment the cabbage, then put in the refrigerator for a day before eaten. Think of this as the Salvadoran version of sauerkraut or kimchi. Serve the curtido with pupusas, tacos, sandwiches, tamales, enchiladas, smoked meats…the list goes on and on.
Equipment
- mandolin
Ingredients
- 1/2 head green cabbage shredded
- 4 cup boiling water
- 2 large carrots finely julienned on a mandolin
- 1/2 medium red or white onion sliced paper thin on a mandolin
- 1 red jalapeño finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place the shredded cabbage in a strainer. Pour the boiling water slowly over the cabbage. Rinse with cold water. Press out as much water as possible.
- Mix the cabbage together with all of the ingredients. Refrigerate overnight before use.
Requeijao Cremoso
Requeijao Cremoso (Brazilian Cream Cheese Spread)
This isn’t anywhere close to the American cream cheese spread that you are use to. Requeijao cremoso has the consistency of a creamy ricotta. The cheese spread only has 5 ingredients and can be made in 15 minutes. Let the spread firm up in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 2 liters whole milk + 1 cup warm milk
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of milk to boil.
- Turn off the heat. Pour in the vinegar. The milk will start to separate the curds from the whey.
- Strain the whey from the curds. Rinse under cold water to get the vinegar flavor out.
- Add the curds, butter, salt, mozzarella, and 1 cup of warm milk to a food processor.
- Purée the ingredients together. Pour into a container and let rest for 4 hours before serving.
