Costa Rican Tacos Recipes

COSTA RICAN TACOS TICOS

Steps:

• Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Let it sit for exactly 1 minute. Drain the cabbage well and return it to the bowl. Add the salt, stir, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or until cool. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
• Working with 1 tortilla at a time, place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the shredded beef on 1 end of it and roll it up tightly, like a cigar (it has to be tight or the beef will escape when the tacos are fried). Tie it snuggly with a piece of twine and set aside. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
• Fit a large baking pan with a metal cooling rack and set aside. In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 to 2 inches of oil to 360 degrees (or use a deep-fryer according to the manufacturer's directions). Working in batches, use tongs to place the tacos in the oil. Fry them until golden, about 3 to 3 ½ minutes, turning them over halfway through. Transfer them to the prepared rack to drain.
• To plate, place 2 tacos on a plate, top with a generous amount of the cabbage, and drizzle with the condiments. Serve immediately.

COSTA RICAN TACOS

Steps:

• Brown the roast in a roasting pan using the 2 tbls. of oil. When browned, sprinkle liberally with the abodo seasoning. Use more if you really like your meat flavorful.
• Cook roast in low oven until it's falling apart. Usually about 2 hours.
• While roast is cooking, shred cabbage and put in bowl. Squeeze lemons over cabbage and add salt. Cover with cling film and put in fridge. The lemon and salt with wilt the cabbage slightly, which is exactly what you want. Add more salt to taste, just before serving.
• Now cut up the tomatoes and add the mayonnaise to the tomatoes. As you mix the mayo in, the juice from the tomatoes will begin to make a pink sauce in the bowl. You want it to be the consistency of a thin sour cream. Add more mayo or tomatoes as needed. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.
• When roast is done, let it cool and then shredd beef. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare deep pot of oil for deep frying. Add desired amount of meat to the bottom of a tortilla, fold in half like a taco and submerge in hot oil, using tongs to hold taco together as it fries. Fry each taco until crisp, about 15 seconds. Drain well by tipping to side and letting extra oil drip out onto paper towels. Set tacos aside until all are done frying.
• To serve, slightly open mouth of taco and add tomato/mayo sauce first and then top with cabbage.
• This recipe is supposed to feed 4 people, but most people end up eating more than you think is humanly possible, so be prepared to make extra.

TRIPE TACOS IN HERBAL TOMATILLO SAUCE WITH TOASTED SEEDS AND NUTS

Steps:

• Poach the tripe:
• Poach the tripe in salted water for 3 hours in a large pot, changing the water halfway through. The tripe should be soft and pliable when done. Drain and let tripe cool. Pat dry.
• Make the herbal tomatillo sauce:
• Toss the chopped tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil. Broil on a foil- lined baking sheet until vegetables are blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Purée the blackened vegetables, herbs, fish sauce, lime zest and juice in a blender. Let sauce cool.
• Pan-fry the tripe:
• Slice the cooled tripe into 1/4-inch strips. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, carefully pan-fry the strips of tripe on one side until golden brown. Place tripe on a paper towel-lined plate as you work and sprinkle with salt. After the last batch, drain the pan of all oil and add the pan-fried tripe and the tomatillo sauce. Toss the tripe in the sauce over medium heat until softened and coated.
• Assemble the tacos:
• Assemble the tacos: Warm the tortillas. Divide the tripe between the tortillas and top with toasted seeds and nuts. Garnish with additional chopped herbs and white onion, if desired.

PATACONES TICOS (COSTA RICAN FRIED PLANTAINS)

Steps:

• Peel plantains completely.
• Slice Plantains into 1/2 inch rounds.
• Heat oil in sauce pan until almost boiling.
• CAREFULLY place a handful of plantain rounds into hot oil, leaving them in until light brown, about 2 minutes.
• CAREFULLY remove plantain rounds from hot oil with slotted spoon (preferably metal) and place on a cutting board covered in parchment paper.
• Plantain pieces should be on only half of the parchment paper. Fold second half of parchment paper over them, and with a second board or other hard, flat surface press firmly on the paper-covered plantain rounds.
• The rounds should now be smushed-looking, yet still intact.
• *This can also be done using a metal tortilla press, if available. What I use is like a tortilla press, but is specifically designed for patacones, and I bought it at a supermarket in Costa Rica.
• With slotted spoon, replace pieces of plantain in the oil until golden brown.
• Remove pieces with slotted spoon and place on paper towel. Pieces should be slightly crispy.
• Repeat with another handful of rounds, until all have been cooked.
• Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
• Dip in warm refried beans, or also good with ceviche.