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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Girly
 
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Default tacos tapatios

Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the difference?
  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
Shelora
 
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Default tacos tapatios

I'm guessing that a flauta is rolled like a flute and a taco is softly folded over.
s



(Girly) wrote in message . com>...
> Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the difference?

  #8 (permalink)   Report Post  
Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default tacos tapatios

Please read the following with a bit of sense of humor and please don't come
back accusing me of being a pompous ass regarding Mexican food. But here's
something to consider: It has been written that Cortez invented the taco.
The tortilla was already a staple in Mexico and had been for over three
thousand years; since the cultivation and use of maiz as the principal
long-term food that allowed a civilization to be born. The Spanish brought
the horse, cows and domesticated sheep and pork although a pork-like
creature already roamed the tropical parts of Mexico and was cooked in many
ways; including on a spit. I'm sure Amerindians used the tortilla to grasp
cooking meat from the fire and would add salsa and the like to make it a
delight so I'm not convinced that Cortez 'invented the taco' as some writers
proclaim. It is not in the Bernal Diaz del Castillo book.

Anyway... the taco has evolved and Taco Bell in the US buys more lettuce
than any chain store in the world to put on their tacos. In Mexico you have
two disctinct categories: the rolled and fried often called flauta, or plain
rolled tacos such as found through Delimex (even in Mexico!) and the more
popular Mexican variety of taco found at any taco stand on almost every
corner throughout Mexico. These street tacos come in dozens of varieties;
the main ones being tacos al pastor (thinly sliced pork slowly cooked on a
skewer pivoting on pineapple cuts), Tacos de carne asada - thinly sliced
marinated beef flank over a very hot fire then chopped into smaller than
French fries chunks, laid in a soft corn tortilla which has just been
reheated with the aid of a drop or two of oil. The tortilla on a piece of
butcher paper, the meat centered, the customer then will put whatever
combination of cilantro, chile Serrano, chile colorado, salsa verde, pico de
gallo, guacamole, roasted green onions, radishes, salt, pepper, dried chile
de arbol, salsa borracha.... The third most popular taco is called Tacos con
Carnitas; carnitas being deep fried pork, degreased, then chopped into small
pieces to put onto a freshly heated tortilla much as the tacos de carne
asada, or put onto a tortilla fresh from the comal and served to you in an
insulated basket. The stuff you add to this taco are identical to the tacos
al pastor or asada with a heavy leaning to more guacamole and cilantro. Then
there are tacos de barbacoa, (steamed lamb wrapped in cactus and flavored
with aromatic leaves), cabeza (every part of a pig's head or cow's head from
brains, to cheek (my favorite!) to tongue. Take it from there... the fellow
you see out there in the field or up on a building laying bricks will have a
kilo of tortillas in his bag in the morning along with a half kilo of
refried or fresh beans and a half kilo of salsa with 50% of it being made of
chile serrano or piquin, but rarely jalapeno which is too bland. They will
mix these ingredients in taco after taco until day's end and when they go
home, ask for another taco! They seem to live long, healthy, active life's
and you never see a fat campesino or orbrero.

Delimex will make and freeze over 2 million rolled tacos a day for sale in
the US and Mexico. Taco Bell sill fry, fold make and deliver even more.
Count the taco stands in Mexico and you can probably triple this.

Taco Tapatio is an unknown thing to me. I know a Tapatio is a person born in
Guadalajara but in all my years in Mexico I never saw Taco Tapatio on a menu
or heard anybody ask for one. If I were to suggest the ingredients I would
be it would be birria; a wonderful soup made from kid mostly, but sometimes
beef, cooked in a rich red chile broth with all kinds of secret ingredients
invented and perfected by the thousands of chefs who make this delightful
dish; often served with soup, and the meat in tacos.

Wayne in Chula Vista
www.rcsailcars.com

"Girly" > wrote in message
om...
> Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the

difference?


  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jack Sloan
 
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Default tacos tapatios


"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> Please read the following with a bit of sense of humor and please don't

come
> back accusing me of being a pompous ass regarding Mexican food. But here's
> something to consider: It has been written that Cortez invented the taco.
> The tortilla was already a staple in Mexico and had been for over three
> thousand years; since the cultivation and use of maiz as the principal
> long-term food that allowed a civilization to be born. The Spanish brought
> the horse, cows and domesticated sheep and pork although a pork-like
> creature already roamed the tropical parts of Mexico and was cooked in

many
> ways; including on a spit. I'm sure Amerindians used the tortilla to grasp
> cooking meat from the fire and would add salsa and the like to make it a
> delight so I'm not convinced that Cortez 'invented the taco' as some

writers
> proclaim. It is not in the Bernal Diaz del Castillo book.
>
> Anyway... the taco has evolved and Taco Bell in the US buys more lettuce
> than any chain store in the world to put on their tacos. In Mexico you

have
> two disctinct categories: the rolled and fried often called flauta, or

plain
> rolled tacos such as found through Delimex (even in Mexico!) and the more
> popular Mexican variety of taco found at any taco stand on almost every
> corner throughout Mexico. These street tacos come in dozens of varieties;
> the main ones being tacos al pastor (thinly sliced pork slowly cooked on a
> skewer pivoting on pineapple cuts), Tacos de carne asada - thinly sliced
> marinated beef flank over a very hot fire then chopped into smaller than
> French fries chunks, laid in a soft corn tortilla which has just been
> reheated with the aid of a drop or two of oil. The tortilla on a piece of
> butcher paper, the meat centered, the customer then will put whatever
> combination of cilantro, chile Serrano, chile colorado, salsa verde, pico

de
> gallo, guacamole, roasted green onions, radishes, salt, pepper, dried

chile
> de arbol, salsa borracha.... The third most popular taco is called Tacos

con
> Carnitas; carnitas being deep fried pork, degreased, then chopped into

small
> pieces to put onto a freshly heated tortilla much as the tacos de carne
> asada, or put onto a tortilla fresh from the comal and served to you in an
> insulated basket. The stuff you add to this taco are identical to the

tacos
> al pastor or asada with a heavy leaning to more guacamole and cilantro.

Then
> there are tacos de barbacoa, (steamed lamb wrapped in cactus and flavored
> with aromatic leaves), cabeza (every part of a pig's head or cow's head

from
> brains, to cheek (my favorite!) to tongue. Take it from there... the

fellow
> you see out there in the field or up on a building laying bricks will have

a
> kilo of tortillas in his bag in the morning along with a half kilo of
> refried or fresh beans and a half kilo of salsa with 50% of it being made

of
> chile serrano or piquin, but rarely jalapeno which is too bland. They will
> mix these ingredients in taco after taco until day's end and when they go
> home, ask for another taco! They seem to live long, healthy, active life's
> and you never see a fat campesino or orbrero.
>
> Delimex will make and freeze over 2 million rolled tacos a day for sale in
> the US and Mexico. Taco Bell sill fry, fold make and deliver even more.
> Count the taco stands in Mexico and you can probably triple this.
>
> Taco Tapatio is an unknown thing to me. I know a Tapatio is a person born

in
> Guadalajara but in all my years in Mexico I never saw Taco Tapatio on a

menu
> or heard anybody ask for one. If I were to suggest the ingredients I would
> be it would be birria; a wonderful soup made from kid mostly, but

sometimes
> beef, cooked in a rich red chile broth with all kinds of secret

ingredients
> invented and perfected by the thousands of chefs who make this delightful
> dish; often served with soup, and the meat in tacos.
>
> Wayne in Chula Vista
> www.rcsailcars.com
>
> "Girly" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the

> difference?
>

Very interesting...Around here (Houston area) if you order tacos de barbacoa
they claim it to be meat from the face of a cow. Many times I think it is
not as claimed. Rather it is a falling apart beef roast that is perhaps
barbecued or roasted. Add cilantro ,cebollas ,and sliced avocado and serve
it on an open corn tortilla with a fried egg on top with salsa and you have
a grand breakfast. I have that about three times a week at my favorite
taqueria.
Yours is the first claim I have seen that barbacoa should be of steamed
lamb. It does sound good.
Jack


  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jim Lane
 
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Default tacos tapatios


In the eastern part of Ensenada there is a built up taco stand, Tacos
Ferrocarril, that serves lamb tacos. Really unique and the only place I
have encountered them. I did not check to see how they prepared the
lamb, but will do so if I can next time I am there.

One other thing I have seen Mexicans do, here and in Mexico, is make
tacos of potatoes or rice and beans (which they also add to the tacos
they make at the table.

Very interesting. And there's a new stand to discover when you turn the
corner.


jim


Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> Please read the following with a bit of sense of humor and please don't come


> Then
> there are tacos de barbacoa, (steamed lamb wrapped in cactus and flavored
> with aromatic leaves), cabeza (every part of a pig's head or cow's head from
> brains, to cheek (my favorite!) to tongue. Take it from there... the fellow
> you see out there in the field or up on a building laying bricks will have a
> kilo of tortillas in his bag in the morning along with a half kilo of
> refried or fresh beans and a half kilo of salsa with 50% of it being made of
> chile serrano or piquin, but rarely jalapeno which is too bland. They will
> mix these ingredients in taco after taco until day's end and when they go
> home, ask for another taco! They seem to live long, healthy, active life's
> and you never see a fat campesino or orbrero.


snip

> Taco Tapatio is an unknown thing to me. I know a Tapatio is a person born in
> Guadalajara but in all my years in Mexico I never saw Taco Tapatio on a menu
> or heard anybody ask for one. If I were to suggest the ingredients I would
> be it would be birria; a wonderful soup made from kid mostly, but sometimes
> beef, cooked in a rich red chile broth with all kinds of secret ingredients
> invented and perfected by the thousands of chefs who make this delightful
> dish; often served with soup, and the meat in tacos.
>
> Wayne in Chula Vista
> www.rcsailcars.com
>
> "Girly" > wrote in message
> om...
>
>>Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the

>
> difference?
>
>




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Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default tacos tapatios


"Jack Sloan" > wrote in message
...
>

..--snip---

> Yours is the first claim I have seen that barbacoa should be of steamed
> lamb. It does sound good.
> Jack
>

There are two places in Mexico where barbacoa rules on weekends. One, is
south Insurgentes on the free road from Mexico City to Cuernavaca and
Xochimilco. The other is on the north side Lake Texcoco in the township of
Texcoco. Families spend the week putting together all the stuff for sale on
Saturday and Sunday to people escaping the congestion and pollution of
Mexico City. This has been going on for over 100 years!

Barbacoa is lamb wrapped in maguey leaves and seasoned with salt and
aromatic leaves from something that tastes and smells between avocado leaves
and eucaliptus. A hole is dug and for two days the pit is heated by burning
wood; rocks are added to the side of the pit to retain the heat. Once it has
reached it's ultimate temperature, the bundles of wrapped lamb are placed in
the pit, covered for overnight cooking. Customers buy by the kilo along with
freshly made tortillas, salsa borracha (a sauce made from chiles that grow
on trees (chile de arbol), garlic, onion, tomato and the most important
ingredient: pulque. Pulque is a fermentation from the juices recovered from
the heart of a cactus (maguey, century plant) by first cutting out the
heart, then letting the juices settle, then coming around with a gourd with
one hole in the bottom and one on the top. The person recovering the juice
will put the gourd into the liquid then suck on the top hole then transfer
the juice to a pig skin container. This juice is put into barrels and
fermented for 72 hours and it becomes pulque. (From pulque you can distill
it into Mezcal or a Tequila-like concoction). So the salsa borracha is a lot
of chile and some cactus beer. Other sauces on the table will be guacamole,
green salsa, red salsa, cilantro, rice and beans and lots of tequila. The
barbacoa meat itself is pinched from the unwrapped cactus bundle by each
person and flaked onto an open fresh corn tortilla upon which the choice of
sauces is added. Then rolled into a taco, holding the aft end down to
prevent spilling while you lean forward to munch on the delicacy.

I'm getting really hungry!

Wayne
www.rcsailcars.com

>



  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default tacos tapatios

I love potato tacos!!!

One of the standard fares for tourists at the pyramids and archeological
sites is to see the native women in full local attire carry their baskets
and crying out "Tacos!" "Tacos!" Taquitos y doraditos".... I will always buy
from them and they are always a delight. Usually they offer the standard
potato taco, or with chicken, or with pork... or another favorite is squash
flower tacos or quesadillas!!!!




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Mr. Wizard
 
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Default tacos tapatios


"Girly" > wrote in message
om...
> Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the

difference?
>

A true Taco Tapatio is served like a sandwich.
It is made by placing the filling on top of a tortilla
and frying them in a skillet, then covering with cheese
and another tortilla and flipping over just like a grilled cheese.


  #14 (permalink)   Report Post  
BW
 
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Default tacos tapatios


>
> Barbacoa is lamb wrapped in maguey leaves and seasoned with salt and
> aromatic leaves from something that tastes and smells between avocado leaves
> and eucaliptus.


We always called this mixiote, the wrapping of meat in maguey leaves
and cooking underground

This juice is put into barrels and
> fermented for 72 hours and it becomes pulque. (From pulque you can distill
> it into Mezcal or a Tequila-like concoction


Wayne, your normally accurate depiction of Mexican food culture is off
here. Your description of pulque is correct however Mexcal and Tequila
use the fully harvested (ie, cut out of the ground) corazon del maguey
cooked to convert the starches to sugar, squeezed then distilled into
liqour. They are not distilled from pulque.
  #15 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jim Lane
 
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Default tacos tapatios

Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> I love potato tacos!!!
>
> One of the standard fares for tourists at the pyramids and archeological
> sites is to see the native women in full local attire carry their baskets
> and crying out "Tacos!" "Tacos!" Taquitos y doraditos".... I will always buy
> from them and they are always a delight. Usually they offer the standard
> potato taco, or with chicken, or with pork... or another favorite is squash
> flower tacos or quesadillas!!!!
>
>
>
>


Enjoyed squash flower gorditas in the Chapalita area of Guadalajara.


jim



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Jim Lane
 
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Default tacos tapatios

Mr. Wizard wrote:

> "Girly" > wrote in message
> om...
>
>>Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the

>
> difference?
>
> A true Taco Tapatio is served like a sandwich.
> It is made by placing the filling on top of a tortilla
> and frying them in a skillet, then covering with cheese
> and another tortilla and flipping over just like a grilled cheese.
>
>


I know these as huaraches both from Jalisco and from Baja. Then there
was the vampiro. . .


jim

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Frogleg
 
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Default tacos tapatios

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 23:10:09 -0800, Jim Lane >
wrote:

>Mr. Wizard wrote:


>> A true Taco Tapatio is served like a sandwich.
>> It is made by placing the filling on top of a tortilla
>> and frying them in a skillet, then covering with cheese
>> and another tortilla and flipping over just like a grilled cheese.

>
>I know these as huaraches both from Jalisco and from Baja. Then there
>was the vampiro. . .


Oh, *do* tell. :-)
  #20 (permalink)   Report Post  
Wayne Lundberg
 
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Default tacos tapatios


"BW" > wrote in message
news:230120042105593572%brook.nospam.watts@comcast .net...
>

..snip
>
> Wayne, your normally accurate depiction of Mexican food culture is off
> here. Your description of pulque is correct however Mexcal and Tequila
> use the fully harvested (ie, cut out of the ground) corazon del maguey
> cooked to convert the starches to sugar, squeezed then distilled into
> liqour. They are not distilled from pulque.


You are technically correct and of course real Tequila must come from the
town of Tequila and is made under a very specific NOM... but I have seen
Mezcal made from aguamiel, which is pulque fermented... Perhaps not a legal
label, but like backyard aguardiente made from sugar cane, some mezcales are
made from pulque. Pulque contains about 12 alcohol; same as a wine, and the
alcohol is distilled from it. Blame the Spanish because before them the
Amerindians only had corn beer and pulque to get drunk with. I think.

Wayne





  #21 (permalink)   Report Post  
Steve Wertz
 
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Default tacos tapatios

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:13:58 -0600, "Jack Sloan"
> wrote:

>Very interesting...Around here (Houston area) if you order tacos de barbacoa
>they claim it to be meat from the face of a cow.


It's beef cheek meat. It's like this in all of Texas and
California in my experience, though it's traditionally lamb (or
even goat). Heck, even HEB sells a prepared "barbacoa" - which is
simply cooked beef cheek meat/spices.

You can tell identify cooked cheek meat by it's sticky, glutinous
properties. Nothing like a chuck roast.

-sw
  #22 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jack Sloan
 
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Default tacos tapatios


"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:13:58 -0600, "Jack Sloan"
> > wrote:
>
> >Very interesting...Around here (Houston area) if you order tacos de

barbacoa
> >they claim it to be meat from the face of a cow.

>
> It's beef cheek meat. It's like this in all of Texas and
> California in my experience, though it's traditionally lamb (or
> even goat). Heck, even HEB sells a prepared "barbacoa" - which is
> simply cooked beef cheek meat/spices.
>
> You can tell identify cooked cheek meat by it's sticky, glutinous
> properties. Nothing like a chuck roast.
>
> -sw

Steve, you are exactly right . You can tell the difference. Mostly it's not
face meat , but usually it's good anyway.
Jack


  #23 (permalink)   Report Post  
Karen O'Mara
 
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Default tacos tapatios

Frogleg > wrote in message >. ..
> Taquitos came from Mac's drive in in Albuquerque. The world's
> greasiest. They were deep-fried flautas with perhaps a teaspoon of
> mystery meat enclosed, and served with tiny, tiny cups of either hot
> red or "guacamole" sauce. Almost guaranteed to produce indigestion in
> even the resilient guts of teenagers. But delicious. :-)
>
> tacos -- the January issue of Bon Appetit features "rib eye tacos
> with onion jam and horseradish creme fraiche." This concoction is
> sesrved on flour tortillas trimmed to 5" squares and warmed in the
> oven.
>
> So taco, taquito, flauta, and heaven knows what other names are used
> for *anything* that involves a corn or flour tortilla. Not to say that
> anything involving a tortilla is necessarily one of the above. No
> solid ground at all.


Today, I had potato taquitos at lunchtime. The restaurant brought us
some as complimentary appetizers. They were really good. Am thinking
this preparation is more like a Spanish tapas thing?...

Karen
  #24 (permalink)   Report Post  
Bob Dietz
 
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"Karen O'Mara" > wrote in message
om...
> Frogleg > wrote in message

>. ..
>
> Today, I had potato taquitos at lunchtime. The restaurant brought us
> some as complimentary appetizers. They were really good. Am thinking
> this preparation is more like a Spanish tapas thing?...
>


I don't think so. Potatos have been eaten in Mexico since pre-Columbian
times. From what I'm given to understand is that potato tacos, rolled and
steamed, are quite common.

Bob Dietz


  #25 (permalink)   Report Post  
Member
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Girly View Post
Are tacos tapatios and flautas the same thing? If not, what is the difference?
To my knowledge, tacos tapatios are corn tortilla filled with meat, rolled and deep fried. They are served by the half dozen topped with shredded cabbage and crema fresca casera. Flautas are large flour tortillas filled with meat, rolled, deep fried, and served with salsa. Flautas are usually longer than the taco tapatios due to the size of the tortillas. I may be different in other areas, but this is usually how it is served on the Texas/Mexico border.
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