Post #400 National Taco Day 2020

Photo above: Taco al pastor.

Ever since I learned that October 4th is celebrated as National Taco Day in the USA, I have acknowledged the holiday by making a list of my posts with a taco theme during the year (click on highlighted text to visit my lists from 2018 and 2019.)   It was fun to arrange a year of tacos all together again, and what better topic for my 400th post than my list for National Taco Day 2020 (click on images or highlighted titles below, to visit the posts with recipes).  Trudge along and pick your favourite:

Steak Tacos – Tacos de Asada (February 25, 2020)

For this classic recipe, there are just a few ingredients involved; the secret is to start with a hot grill and a good quality cut of beef:

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Fish Tacos – Baja Style (March 11, 2020)

Fisheries and tourism are two of the main industries in Ensenada, in the Mexican state of Baja California; fresh fish and word of mouth explain how the delicious fried fish taco flourished from its humble origin as a street snack outside a seafood market, to an emblematic dish, nowadays popular around all of Mexico, and some parts of the US:

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Smoked Fish Tacos – Sonora Style (March 13, 2020)

In March of 1997, a small seafood taco stand opened for business out of a house garage in Hermosillo, capital city of the Mexican state of Sonora.  Twenty three years later, “El Pescadito” – “The Little Fish” has expanded with many branches, also to the neighbouring state of Sinaloa, as well as in Estado de México and Mexico City.  They have fried fish and shrimp amongst their fillings, but their signature tacos feature smoked fish:

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Jackfruit Pibil Tacos (April 30, 2020)

When jackfruit is still green, its pods, seeds, and flesh may be cooked and used as a vegan alternative to meat (the traditional is pork in this dish, LOL!) Young green jackfruit is available already cooked and packed, either in cans, or vacuum sealed.  Because the flavour is very mild, this product pairs wonderfully with Mexican sauces, such as in this case, with Yucatan style recado rojo (red rub):

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Tacos al Pastor (May 13, 2020)

Tacos al pastor translates as “shepherd’s style tacos”, probably from the countryside technique of cooking large pieces of meat (sometimes whole animals) on a spear, rotating over a heat source. The history of the iconic Mexico City’s taco al pastor begins with the introduction of a vertical grill, which may be traced back to the doner kebap, created in Turkey in the 19th Century.  When made at home in small batches, though, the meat may be grilled in a single layer, in which case all the pieces will receive the same amount of heat, and moving them around on a rotating spear becomes unnecessary.  Homemade taco-size corn tortillas, plus the mandatory cilantro, onions, pineapple chunks and red spicy sauce, along with lime wedges, complete the perfect set of flavours and textures for a close rendition of the beloved street  food:

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Which one would you choose? 

Happy National Taco Day!

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I am linking to Cee’s “On the Hunt for Joy Challenge: Arrange your Snacks.”

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I am joining What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up #283 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome.