If you scour Pinterest or Instagram for tacos, you’re going to get about 8 million different recipes on how to make a taco. I have some mixed feelings about this, but mostly good feelings. On the one hand we are really exploring unique flavor combinations that had no business being together, however are delicious. There are Korean Chicken Tacos, BBQ Shrimp Tacos, heck even I’ve seen some pretty crazy taco mashups on BillyParisi.com. With that being said, the traditional street taco recipe here is much simpler than what you may see on the popular social media sites. 

Ingredients (Serves 8)

For the Chicken Tacos:

• 4 tomatoes sliced into wedges
• 4 tomatillos
• 1 peeled yellow onion sliced into wedges
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeño sliced in half, seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of dry oregano
• 1 whole chicken broken down into parts
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 peeled, seeded and diced avocado
• 1 cup of crumbled cotija cheese

For the Beef Tacos:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 small diced yellow onion
• 1 pound of finely minced flank steak
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the Tortillas:

• 4 cups of masa flour
• 3 cups of warm water
• 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Chicken:

Place the tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalapeños on a non-stick cookie sheet tray and toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes or until everything is lightly charred.

Mash the ingredients along with the chipotle pepper, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper using a mortar and pestle until smooth.  Set aside.

Next, season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper and in a large rondeau over high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil sear the chicken until golden brown on both sides.

Add the tomatillo mixture along with the chicken stock and cover and simmer over low heat for2 hours.  Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred. Keep warm.

Beef:

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat with olive oil add in 1 cup of diced onions, beef, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked throughout, about 5 to 6 minutes. Keep warm and set aside.

Tortillas:

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until completely combined.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Next, make golf ball sized dough balls and press them using a tortilla press.

Cook the tortillas in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until they become lightly browned around the edges. Keep warm.

To Plate:

Place some shredded chicken in a homemade tortilla and garnish with avocado and cotija cheese. Next, place some beef in a homemade tortilla and garnish with diced onions and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Source: The Inspired Home – How to Make Authentic Street Tacos for Your Best Taco Tuesday