What is Taco Tuesday all about?
Taco Tuesday started out as a custom in many parts of the United States of going out to eat tacos on Tuesday nights, whereby restaurants would often offer special prices to attract new customers. The phrase “Taco Tuesday” used as an advertisement started in the late 1960s and has now become something of a global phenomenon, thanks in part to the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James’ frequent use of the phrase.
It is now a common thing to see photos of tacos on social media on Tuesdays across the world. They might be posted by restaurants to draw in the crowds, or by people at home who want to show off their cooking skills. The grilling community is no exception, with BBQ chefs and backyard grillers also showing off their abilities every Tuesday!
Tacos are a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small tortilla (corn or wheat) topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with meat, fish, vegetables or cheese, and garnished with condiments like salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and chiles. Tacos are a common form of Mexican street food, which are now loved around the world! Why? Tacos are delicious, cheap, and easy to make. They are fun to assemble at the table, and people can avoid any ingredients they dislike.
Taco Tuesday gives people the excuse they need to eat too many delicious tacos and wash them down with a margarita or two! Here is our celebration of the taco, with easy-to-follow recipes for fish tacos, minced beef tacos, corn tortillas, a selection of salsas, and of course a margarita!
Tacos de pescado (fish tacos for 4 people)
Ingredients: 700g lean white fish fillets (we used cod), salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, juice of 1 small lime, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ finely chopped onion, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp paprika, 12 small corn tortillas (see recipe below), lime wedges and fresh coriander to garnish.
- Season the fish on both sides.
- Whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, and paprika.
- In a bowl, pour the marinade over the fish and refrigerate for an hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with oil and grill the fish filets for about 3-4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the fish, flipping only once.
- Add the corn tortillas to the grill and warm for about 15 seconds on each side.
- Transfer the fish to a plate and rest for a few minutes. Break into pieces.
- Serve on warm tortillas, topped with crema agria (see below), fresh coriander and lime wedges. You can also add guacamole (see below) and other desired toppings.
Tacos de ternera picada (minced beef/veal tacos for 4 people)
Ingredients: 500g beef or veal mince, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion (finely chopped) 1 carrot (finely chopped), 1 green or red pepper (de-seeded and finely chopped), 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped), 2tsp ground cumin, 2tsp smoked paprika, 2tsp dried oregano, 0.5tsp chilli powder, 15 small corn tortillas (see recipe below)
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over a medium heat on the grill, then add the onion, carrot, and pepper, stirring regularly until softened, this will take about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the spices and the meat and fry it until it is brown all over (about another 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the corn tortillas to the grill and warm for about 15 seconds on each side.
- Serve the minced meat on each tortilla, topped with pico de gallo (see below), sliced avocados or guacamole (see below), grated cheese and jalopeño chiles.
Tortillas de maíz (corn tortillas)
Ingredients: 400g maize flour, 750ml water, 5g salt
- Put 750ml of water into a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl measure out 400g of maize flour and mix in 5g salt.
- Sprinkle the maize flour and salt onto the water in a mixing bowl and stir into a paste. With your hands knead the mixture making sure all the lumps are gone and work the mixture into a large ball which shouldn’t be sticky. Leave it to stand for a few minutes.
- Then divide the ball into smaller balls the size of golf balls.
- Use a tortilla press lined with plastic to get tortillas approximately 20cm in diameter. Use a hot griddle on your grill to cook them for about 1 minute on each side until they are lightly browned and puffed up. Stack them on a plate with a tea towel on top to keep them warm and moist.
Pico de Gallo (tomato salsa)
Ingredients: 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 small red onion – peeled and finely chopped, 1 clove garlic – minced, chopped coriander (cilantro) and chopped jalapeños (to taste)
- In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeño.
Crema agria (or sour cream sauce made from Greek yogurt)
Ingredients: 1 cup Greek yoghurt, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1tbsp lime juice, salt, pepper.
- Add the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, and seasonings to a bowl. Stir until smooth.
Guacamole
Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados, 1 medium sized tomato seeded and chopped finely, 1 medium regular or sweet onion depending on if you like it hot or not, 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and chopped, 30 gr finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro), ¼ tsp. each of ground cumin and coriander seed, ½ tsp. salt, the juice of 1½ limes
- In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the avocados.
- Peel and remove the pits from the avocados.
- Cut the avocado coarsely and add to the rest of the mixture.
- Mash the mixture with the back of a fork until you obtain a nice consistency. Do not over mash the avocado as guacamole should have chunks of avocado in it.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.
Margaritas
Ingredients for 2 glasses: 2 lime wedges, rock salt, 4 measures tequila, 2 measures lime juice, 2 measures triple sec.
- Rub the rim of each glass with a lime wedge and dip it in the salt.
- Pour the tequila, lime juice and triple sec into a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Cover and shake. Strain into the glasses and serve immediately with a slice of lime as a decoration.
Happy Taco Tuesday!
