Taquitos Dorados de Papa Guanajuatenses

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or heavy skillet
• •Heavy 10-inch skillet or clay cazuela for frying
• •Potato masher
• •Blender
• •Wire rack set over a sheet pan
• •Tongs or kitchen spider

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by one inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer and cook 15 to 18 minutes, until a knife slides through without resistance. Drain well and return the potatoes to the hot pot for two minutes so extra moisture leaves. Wet potato makes a loose filling. Loose filling breaks taquitos.

2. 2

   Season the filling

   Melt 2 tablespoons manteca de cerdo in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and sweet, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until it smells alive. Mash the hot potatoes into the skillet with the onion, garlic, epazote if using, black pepper, and salt to taste. The filling should be firm, savory, and not creamy. This is not mashed potatoes for a spoon. It has to hold inside a tortilla.

   Do not add milk, butter, or crema to the potato filling. That makes it soft and it will leak into the fat. No me vengas con atajos.
3. 3

   Toast the salsa chiles

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the guajillo chiles for about 20 seconds per side, just until they darken slightly and smell fruity. Toast the chile de arbol for 5 to 8 seconds. It burns fast. If a chile turns black, throw it away. Burned chile makes bitter salsa and there is no fixing it later.

4. 4

   Char the vegetables

   On the same comal, char the jitomates, the onion piece, and the unpeeled garlic clove. Turn them until the tomato skins blister, the onion has dark spots, and the garlic softens inside its skin, about 8 to 10 minutes. Peel the garlic. This comal flavor is what keeps the salsa from tasting like raw blender sauce.

5. 5

   Blend the salsa

   Put the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water, not boiling water. Soak 15 minutes, then drain. Blend the softened chiles with the charred jitomates, onion, peeled garlic, salt, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water until smooth. Taste for salt. The salsa should be red, bright, and slightly sharp, with the guajillo in front and the chile de arbol behind it.

6. 6

   Warm the tortillas

   Warm the tortillas on a comal or wrap them in a damp cloth and microwave 45 seconds, until flexible. Keep them covered in a clean servilleta. Cold tortillas split. Dry tortillas split. If your tortillas are from a supermarket and already stiff, brush them lightly with warm water before heating. A tortilleria tortilla behaves better because it was made to be eaten.

7. 7

   Roll the taquitos

   Place 2 tablespoons potato filling across the lower third of each warm tortilla. Roll tightly around the filling and set seam side down on a tray. Do not overfill them. A taquito should be tight enough to hold its shape and narrow enough to fry evenly. If needed, secure each one with a wooden toothpick, but good tortillas and a firm roll usually do the work.

8. 8

   Fry until crisp

   Melt the 2 cups manteca de cerdo in a heavy skillet or cazuela over medium-high heat until it reaches 350F. Fry the taquitos in batches, seam side down first, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Listen to the fat. A steady active sizzle means the temperature is right. A dull bubbling sound means the fat is too cool and the tortillas are absorbing grease. Drain on a rack, not paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.

   Keep the fat between 340F and 360F. Below that, greasy taquitos. Above that, dark tortillas with cold centers. Así se hace y punto.
9. 9

   Dress and serve

   Pile the hot taquitos on a platter. Spoon salsa roja over them, then add shredded lechuga, crema, queso fresco, diced white onion, and lime wedges on the side. Serve immediately, family-style. The first bite should crack at the tortilla, then give way to the soft papa inside. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy tortillas from a tortilleria the same day you fry. The tortilla is half the dish. Supermarket tortillas are often too dry and too thick, and then people blame the recipe. Preguntale a las senoras del mercado.
• •Use manteca de cerdo for the best flavor and clean crisp texture. Many modern street stands use vegetable oil because it is cheaper and easier to manage. That is practical business, not better cooking.
• •The salsa is mild by design. Guanajuato's table does not need to prove anything by burning your mouth. If you want more heat, add one more chile de arbol, not a handful. Balance first.
• •If you cannot find queso fresco, use a young, salty, crumbly cheese. It is a compromise, not an upgrade. Do not use yellow cheese. That belongs to another kitchen.
• •Epazote in the potato is optional because not every Guanajuato cook uses it for this filling. If your market has fresh epazote, use a little. If it smells tired or blackened, leave it out.

Advance Preparation

• •The potato filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it close to room temperature before rolling so it spreads without tearing the tortillas.
• •The salsa roja can be made up to three days ahead. Keep it refrigerated and stir before serving.
• •The taquitos can be rolled up to four hours ahead. Cover them with a barely damp cloth and refrigerate. Fry just before serving because a dorado taquito waits for nobody.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 335g)