Quick and richly satisfying, a blend of spices mixed with ground pork makes for intensely flavoured homemade chorizo. Wrapped in warm tortillas, topped with crunchy radish and creamy avocado, these tacos are the stuff dreams are made of.
Often inspired by ethnic cuisines of all sorts, tacos are a weekly occurrence at our place, but these potato chorizo tacos are straight up Mexican inspired. A few years ago we spent several months traveling eating our way through Mexico. It was without a doubt one of the most memorable travel experiences I’ve had. We were immersed in the culture and left with memories permeated with sun-filled days, cawing roosters, colourful textiles, kind people, non-stop fireworks, new flavours, bustling markets, long bus rides, cobble stone streets… It wasn’t long before I was fixated on the energetic culture and flavourful food which has had a lasting impact on the way I cook.
In Mexico chorizo is fairly ubiquitous, with regional variations of both red and green varieties dangling from butcher stalls in nearly every market. It can also be found cooked up on street corners and served in taquerias, deliciously combined with nearly anything, snuggled up with eggs, stuffed in a torta, rolled in fresh corn tortillas… the options are endless.
Feel free to substitute store bought Mexican chorizo (not to be mistaken for cured Spanish chorizo) here if you like, simply remove the casings. With the pig share we bought into, I opted not to have any sausage made and requested ground pork divided into 1lb. portions. Using it in these chorizo tacos is one of my favourite ways to cook it up!
Potato Chorizo Tacos
yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1lb. (454g) ground pork
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. oregano
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. oil (I like to use lard)
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 lb (454g) potatoes (3-4 medium sized potatoes)
Serve with:
- corn tortillas (store bought or homemade)
- radishes
- cilantro
- limes
- Avocado ‘Crema’
Avocado ‘Crema’
- 1 avocado
- handful cilantro
- 1 jalapeños
- 1 lime, juiced
- water
- salt
Avocado ‘Crema‘: toss all ingredients in a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until creamy and smooth. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time to thin it out and season with salt to taste.
Potato Chorizo Filling:
In a bowl combine ground pork with spices, salt and minced garlic. Mix thoroughly.
Chop potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, place in a pot and cover with cold water and 1 tsp. salt. Place lid on pot and bring to a boil, remove lid and let cook 3 minutes, drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add pork, breaking it up with the back of a spoon or a fork. Stir occasionally until cooked through and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and toss well to coat in oily juices.
Let cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash half of mixture in the pan. Add apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve with warm corn tortillas, topped with cilantro, sliced radishes, freshly squeezed lime and avocado ‘crema’.
Buen Provecho!