Taco Time

by: Heath ” The Taco Man” McDowell

First and foremost let me introduce myself. My name is Heath and I am the administrator for www.Tacoseveryday.com . Each month we will be talking about sauces, tacos, reader submitted recipes and new ideas. This month I will be letting you know a little about myself. And a little taco, chilehead comparison.

Think about your favorite taco. What’s in it? How many spices can you taste? For me, I look for an out of the ordinary taco. One that screams, TRY ME!!!!! I’m always looking for the different styles and cultures that can define a great taco. There is such a variety of tacos that every application of spice can be used in one way or another with them. My suggestion is to let your senses go wild! Make a taco you’ll never forget. Your taste buds will thank you.

This leads us to one of the most asked questions. Do you prefer red, or green sauce? As of late, I have really enjoyed “green sauce”; also known as Verde sauce, can vary in construction. It is made from a base of tomatillo, Serrano chiles, garlic, and onion. The additional ingredients are to taste. I love the tangy taste it provides, with medium heat.

My favorite taco to have Verde sauce on is Tacos El Pastor. The Verde salsa seems to be a good fit with those. Traditionally its served with Red sauces but I live outside the box. When Tacos El Pastor is served with pinapple, green sauce blends well with it. Taco El Pastor consists of pork which is marinated in a combination of dried chiles, spices and pineapple.Sometimes they add some achiote to get a red color. The Meat is slowly cooked with a gas flame on a vertical rotisserie. The juice from the pineapple helps make the meat tender. After it has cooked its thinly sliced off the with a large knife. Of course served on tortillas, with chopped onions, cilantro, and pineapple. I also top it with fresh squeezed lime juice. and a grilled jalapeno on the side…

It can be hard to choose which kind of sauce to use. From crazy spicy, mild, and medium, there are many to choose from. Starting with the base ingredients, chile peppers, paprika, cumin, and tomato’s are traditionally used in most taco sauces. With more than one of the ingredients being a spice, we can see that without it, tacos would lack the taste that keep chileheads coming back for more.

Here are some recommendations on “green” sauces:

1. Hells Kitchen Hot Sauce’s ” Retro Jalapeño”

2. Voodoo Chile’s sauce and salsa’s “Freak show”

3. Heartbreaking Dawn’s The Green: Verde Style Hot Sauce

Thanks for reading. And remember, it’s always a good day for a taco!

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