Tacos Dorado

I have this fantasy that someday I’ll throw a cocktail party. I did that sort of thing when I lived in Chicago, or my previous life, as I think of it. It will have a theme: Street Food. I will serve, my favorite Chat … and Choa Tom and these very tasty Tacos Dorado, as I first had them, in a plastic bag with a bit of shaved cabbage in the bottom, a good drizzle of hot as hell salsa verde and dollop of crema. The tacos get a little mush-crunchy wonderful as they sit in the spicy cream. You chomp off the bottom as they reach that perfect texture and then slurp the salad out of the bag as a palate cleanser. It’s a perfect mess.
Tacos dorado are often stuffed with mashed potatoes , chorizo, or spicy minced pork. But this recipe with requeson is the most unique, and they really don’t need a thing they’re so yummy. Requeson is Mexican ricotta. It’s much drier that Italian style ricotta, so you’ll have to drain the cheese, if you’re not using requeson, by hanging it in cheesecloth above a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. If your cheese is too wet the hot oil will splatter, which is messy and dangerous. Or you can make your own; for the most authentic flavor cook it over a wood fire, the smoke imparts a wonderful earthiness.

mise en place

Tacos Dorado de Requeson
2 cups Requeson
1 roma tomato, seeded, finely chopped
1 chili serrano (seeded if you want it less picante)finely minced
Salt to taste
corn tortillas
Vegetable oil

Toothpicks

stuffing the taco

It is important to use very fresh tortillas or they break and mess up your oil. Most Latin groceries receive tortillas daily. You can tell they’re fresh when they feel floppy and they will often still be warm. I don’t recommend using day old tortillas.
Mix the cheese with the vegetables and salt. Press a rounded tablespoon of the cheese mixture solidly into the bottom third of the tortilla, roll up and secure with a toothpick(I use huizsache thorns). Place in enough hot oil that the taco is at least half submerged, turn when its light brown. You could also use a deep fryer. I use a wok and fry three at a time. The recipe makes about a dozen tacos.
Pair with a hand-shaken Tesoro Blanco margarita topped with Chichcapa mezcal … yea, I’m fantasizing again. 
Probecho y Salud!