Chile Verde Tacos

Tacos with green salsa, onions, cilantro, queso fresco, and lime

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City/Region: Mexico

Time Period: 1831

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Tacos have been many different things in many different places, including fried stuffed tortillas, snacks for miners, and the wrapped dynamite that those miners used to blow up big rocks.

The historical recipe here is a bit vague, so use whatever green chilis that you like and whatever protein you like. The one constant throughout the history of tacos is the amount of variety, whether they’re filled with Korean barbecue, fried shrimp, or algae and insects that live around Lake Texcoco. I recommend using the tomatillos for the salsa. They add a really nice tanginess that goes well with the raw onion.

“Chile verde
They are made with xitomate or tomato, the first roasted and the second baked: one or the other is ground with green chili, and they are thrown in the center with cheese and chopped onion…on top they are decorated with strands of fried meat and minced onion.”

— El Cocinero Mexicano, 1831

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Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas
• 1 to 2 lbs (700 g) marinated carne asada, or whatever protein or vegetable that you like
• 1 lb (450 g) tomatillos or green tomatoes
• 1 to 4 green chilis, whatever you like
• 1 cup (150 g) queso fresco or other crumbly fresh cheese
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• Lime, for serving
• Cilantro, for serving

Instructions:

1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them. Roast the tomatillos in a comal (a traditional earthenware griddle), in a dry pan, or over an open flame. Once they have a bit of char and they’re nice and soft, take them off the heat and set them aside.
2. Wearing gloves, especially if you have very spicy chilis, cut off the stems, then slice them down the middle and remove the seeds. I didn’t wear gloves and my fingers were on fire. Chop the chilis fine.
3. Add the chilis and tomatillo to a molcajete or mortar and grind them together. Taste and add salt if needed.
4. If you’re using pre-marinated meat, cook it on a dry comal or in a dry pan. If you’ve used dry spices on your meat, you may need a little bit of oil. Slice the cooked meat into thin strips.
5. Warm the tortillas in a dry comal or pan until they darken and start to blister. Top them with the tomatillo salsa, cheese, onions, meat, a little more onion, and cilantro if desired. Serve them forth with lime wedges.

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