"Street-Style" Chorizo Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce

Last month, I visited friends in Mobile, and they insisted we dine at a tiny Mexican restaurant sitting inconspicuously amongst the sprawling landscape of chain eateries that call Airport Boulevard home. One typically wouldn’t have very high expectations for a Mexican restaurant on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, but I was absolutely blown away by my meal.

This particular restaurant, La Cocina, offers the typical Americanized Mexican fare that can be found at any similar establishment in the United States, but they also offer an “authentico” menu that features more traditional dishes. Being an unabashed chorizo addict, I selected the chorizo “street-style” tacos for my dinner, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Better yet, served alongside them was a spicy tomatillo sauce that packed just enough punch to put the whole dish over the top.

One thing to keep in mind about traditional tacos is that they are actually quite simple in their composition and usually consist of only a few fresh, tasty ingredients. All this jazz with lettuce and cheddar cheese and sour cream is essentially non-existent. My tacos were simply prepared with chorizo, onion, and cilantro atop warm corn tortillas, and in replicating the dish, I’ve kept the recipe simple, because really, why try to improve on perfection?

Before presenting the recipes, I feel that I should make a note about one of the most controversial ingredients in modern cuisine: cilantro. Personally, I don’t mind the stuff. However, some people find it absolutely ghastly and describe it as tasting like soap. While I include cilantro in the two recipes I’m about to present, if you possess a strong distaste for it, just leave it out or substitute fresh flat-leaf parsley instead. It’s really no big deal!

As an additional note, if you’ve never worked with tomatillos before in the kitchen, don’t be intimidated! Just peel off the husks – you may find them a bit sticky, which is normal – and chop them as you would tomatoes. They have a nice, fresh tartness to them with just a smidge of sweetness.

“Street-Style” Chorizo Tacos

10 oz. package of chorizo

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Red onion, chopped

Warm corn tortillas

Bring a skillet to medium-high heat, and cook the chorizo for 10-12 minutes. Once it’s cooked, drain the excess grease, and assemble the tacos as desired. Other suggested toppings are sliced avocado, Cotija cheese or queso fresco, or tomatillo sauce (recipe to follow).

Tomatillo Sauce

4 tomatillos, husked and chopped

¼ cup chopped onion

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tbs. cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. salt

Dash of cumin

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree until the mixture becomes uniform. The sauce can be served as a condiment or simply eaten with tortilla chips.

(While you’re at it, cut some corn tortillas into wedges and fry them up to have your own homemade tortilla chips!) 

Enjoy!