Tacos and Tequila
With the end of summer rapidly approaching, I think it should be everyone’s goal to have one last outdoor dinner party, and what better theme to serve elevated finger food than tacos and tequila? Not only does this menu include three different variations of tacos (with vegan substitutions), but I’ve also incorporated a churro-inspired dessert to finish the meal.
Serve with your favourite tequila cocktails, agua fresca, or a classic bottle of Corona with lime, and soak up the final few weeks of summer outside enjoying good eats with friends and family!
Citrus Pork Carnitas with Pineapple Salsa
(Serves Four)
Ingredients
3lb Pork Shoulder *
Juice of 1 Orange
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2-3 Chipotle Peppers
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tsp Cumin
3 tsp Oregano
3 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Honey
3 tbsp Tequila
12 Corn Tortillas
Pineapple Salsa
½ Pineapple, Fine Dice
½ Red Onion, Fine Dice
Bell Pepper, Fine Dice
1 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Juice of 2 Limes
2 tsp Tajin Spice
Method
Blend orange juice, chipotles, vinegar, honey, tequila and spices. Coat pork shoulder with blended marinade and place in an instant pot, covering with chicken stock. Set an instant pot to pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can do this in an oven at 325F for 5-6 Hours, or a Slow Cooker on high for 5-6 hours.
In a small bowl, add diced pineapple, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and tajin. Mix until combined and set aside.
Before serving, heat tortillas in a microwave or on a grill until soft. Once the pork is cooked, shred with two forks and top with pineapple salsa. Enjoy!
*Vegan Substitution: Pulled oyster and portobello mushrooms, braise in vegetable stock instead of chicken
Chicken Verde Tacos
(Serves Four)
Ingredients
12 Bone-In Chicken Thighs (Skin Off)*
2 tsp Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Cloves of Garlic
2-4 Jalapenos (Depending on spice preference)
1 Bunch Cilantro
Juice of 3 Limes
3 Tomatillos
Ripe Avocado
1 Can Light Beer
12 Corn Tortillas
Pickled Radishes
Radish Bunch, Sliced Thin on a Mandoline
1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Sugar
2 tsp Sumac Spice
Method
Set the oven to broil and place jalapenos and tomatillos on a baking tray. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly charred.
Place vinegar and sugar in a small sauce pot and boil on high heat. Once sugar is dissolved, pour over sliced radishes and season with sumac. Set aside.
Blend jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, avocado—season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin.
In a large Dutch oven pot, sear chicken thighs on high heat (2-3 mins per side). Pour blended salsa verde over chicken and add beer. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30-40 mins.
Once fully cooked, remove bones and shred chicken with two forks. Heat corn tortillas in the microwave or on a grill. Serve shredded chicken smothered with salsa verde and garnished with crispy pickled radishes. Enjoy!
*Vegan Substitution: Pulled Jackfruit
Steak Tacos with Salsa Roja
(Serves Four)
Ingredients
1lb Skirt Steak or Flank Steak*
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
Juice of 1 Lime
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 Corn Tortillas
Rainbow Slaw
¼ Head of Red Cabbage, Shaved on a Mandoline
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1 Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
Salsa Roja
2 Roma Tomatoes
½ White Onion, Rough Chopped
Small Bunch Cilantro, Chopped
1-2 Chipotles (Depending on spice preference)
2 tsp Tequila
Juice from 1 Lime
Salt to taste
Method
The night before serving; marinade steak in a ziplock bag with olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, lime juice, and garlic.
Preheat your grill to high and grease well. Char the Roma tomatoes (2-3 mins per side), set aside. Sear steak until desired internal temperature is achieved and set aside to rest on a baking tray, grill tortillas, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add cabbage, salt and vinegar. Mix and let sit for at least 10 minutes, allowing the cabbage to sweat and pickle. Once pickled add bell pepper and mix until combined.
Blend peeled, charred tomatoes, onion, cilantro, tequila, chipotles and lime juice. Season with salt to taste.
Slice steak against the grain and serve topped with rainbow slaw and a spoonful of salsa roja. Enjoy!
*Vegan Substitution: Lions Mane Mushrooms
Cinnamon Churro Cake
(Serves Six)
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (Vegan Butter)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature (Flax Eggs)
1/2 cup sour cream (Vegan Sour Cream Substitute)
3/4 cup whole milk (Coconut Milk)
Optional Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream to Serve (Vegan Cool Whip Topping)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (Vegan Butter)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Greaser a 10-cup Bundt pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the egg yolks. Beat in the sour cream until combined. (The batter may look curdled.) Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk; beat until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and tap the bottom of the pan against the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan; loosen the edge of the cake with a wooden skewer and invert onto the rack to cool completely.
Make the cinnamon sugar topping: Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Working in sections, brush the cake with the melted butter. Hold the cake over the bowl and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar, pressing it to adhere. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of dulce de leche, enjoy!