Authentic Mexican Cuisine - Mike Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

 

Overview - Mike Puts His Fish Tacos Where His Mouth Is

First, I want to thank my readers and supporters for the overwhelmingly positive comments on my review of Authentic Mexican Restaurants around the Louisville area and across the U.S.  I so enjoy going to new restaurants and old standbys and finding inspiration for my own food.  I have little formal training in cooking, nor have I received pro tips from professional Mexican chefs.  All of my food undergoes pretty much the same six-step process:  1. Find Inspiration 2. Research and Test 3. Plan, Procure & Organize 4. Cook & Assemble 5. Assess & Refine 6. Repeat.  In business, product development and manufacturing, a good parallel that comes to mind is known as "The Deming Cycle: Plan, Do, Check, Act." For those hip to business process management, this will have a familiar ring to it.  For the uninitiated, this is an iterative design and management method used for the control and continuous improvement of processes and products.  I have an extensive background in continuous process improvement, so I naturally applied this to my own recipe development and cooking.  

It all starts with inspiration.  Sometimes this comes from watching a TV show, reading a blog or online news feed, etc. and sometimes it is as simple as eating food from a restaurant and thinking, "man, that was good, but a couple of simple changes could make it so much better."  If you go out to eat with me, you will often see me pull out my phone, take a bunch of photos and then type or dictate notes that I will refer back to when either writing about a restaurant or trying to improve on an already good dish.  

As stated in my prior post https://tastybitesbymike.blogspot.com/2021/08/authentic-mexican-restaurants.html I chose to focus this post on fish tacos.  Specifically, I want to demonstrate how to make awesome fish tacos at home based on the four different cooking methods used across the myriad establishments I visited:  

1. Dredged, diced and skillet-fried

2. Dredged strips of fish skillet-fried

3. Battered and deep-fried

4. Grilled with no batter or breading 

I had also mentioned previously I thought it was interesting that none of the places did a combo of batter and bread crumbs.  So, I'm going to cover this as the 5th cooking method.  Everyone has their personal preferences.  My favorite is grilled when done right.  This is typically the most healthful.  However, sometimes there is just nothing better than the crunch of a piece of fish that has been dredged in seasoned flour, thoroughly dipped in beer batter and deep fried.  Not the most healthful, but mightily satisfying.  

Now, let's make some awesome fish tacos.

Planning, Procurement and Organization 

First things first.  We need to make an ingredient list and take a trip to the store (sometimes to multiple stores).  We're going to keep this as simple as possible but we'll need fish, ingredients for sauces, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, pickled onions, tortillas, batter and breading, non-stick spray, frying oil, prep and cooking utensils, skillets, bowls, pots and pans, etc.  

The common ingredients for almost every fish taco we're making here include:

• Sauces 
• Pico de Gallo
• Pickled red onions
• Diced white onions
• Fresh limes
• Fresh cilantro
• All-purpose flour
• Fine sea salt and pepper
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic powder
• Tortillas

As I stated previously, a terrific source is an actual Mexican supermarket such as Supermercado Guanajuato & Carniceria #1 at 9901 La Grange Rd, Louisville, KY 40223, #2 at 6201 Preston Hwy Ste B, Louisville, KY 40219 and #3 at 5624 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40291, or Supermercada Puebla at 10119 Taylorsville Rd, Louisville, KY 40299.  Your local Kroger, Meijer or Whole Foods will also have much of what you need, especially the fresh vegetables, proteins, oils and tortillas.  Wherever you shop, make a list before you go.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with the many options in the Latin Foods isle.  Stay focused and like those obnoxious Liberty Mutual LiMu Emu and Doug commercials say, "Only pay for what you need." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQD-m979lXA That said, if you like to do a lot of cooking, it does not hurt to stock up on spices and dried peppers so you have some on-hand when you need them. 

In Anthony Bourdine's best-selling book Kitchen Confidential - Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, he repeated the mantra (I'm paraphrasing) "Get your shit together before, not during, dinner service."  French chefs have similar mantra they call "Mise en place" (MEEZ ahn plahs, or everything in its place) have all ingredients measured, peeled, cut, diced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. This allows you to be as efficient as possible when cooking and assembling the meal. The Japanese came up with a similar organization method called 5S using the Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seisō, seiketsu, and shitsuke. In English, these words mean "sort", "set in order", "shine", "standardize", and "sustain." The bottom line is that in any language, get yourself organized.  Don't start preparing a recipe until everything is prep'd, organized and ready.  

Sauces

If you read my Authentic Mexican Restaurants post, you already know that a great way to make a favorable impression on me is to put three bottles of sauce in front of me.  The general rule is that the sauces should all be different.  The trend is one spicy, one creamy to temper the heat and one in the middle such as a roja or tomatillo sauce.  Whichever you choose, the name of the game is texture and flavor. In fact, let's just establish that we want at least two of these sauces so that, when combined, we produce a "flavor bomb."  I think I have made clear that one of my favorite sauces for any fish taco or other Mexican dish for that matter is a creamy chipotle aioli.  A great chipotle aioli like my recipe checks the creamy AND spicy boxes at the same time.  See my post about authentic Mexican peppers.  You can find the recipe here:  https://tastybitesbymike.blogspot.com/2021/07/authentic-mexican-peppers.html

If time is a factor, you can buy some Mexican sour cream.  I use this often as seen in many of my photos.  This is a terrific option to tame the heat and add another texture to your tacos.  You can use regular sour cream or light sour cream as well but they usually don't come in a squirt bottle.  Either find one that allows you to squirt tight lines of sour cream on top of your tacos or buy an inexpensive squirt bottle and spoon the sour cream into the bottle.  Make sure to keep your sour cream refrigerated.  

In this post, we will concentrate two other sauces:  1.  Cilantro lime crema, and 2. Flavorful Roja.  

Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe (photo above)

• Plain ailoi (recipe below) or mayonnaise (vegan mayo works well too) 4-6 Oz
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed 1/2 Cup
• Fresh lime juice 1 Oz

Place ingredients in a blender and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth. Spoon into a squirt bottle, label, date and refrigerate.  You can vary the amount of aioli (or mayo) depending on how intensely you want the cilantro and lime flavors to shine through.  

Aioli Recipe

• Large egg 1
• Large egg yolk 1
• Fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons
• Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon
• Water 2 tablespoons
• Fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon
• Canola oil 1-1/2 Cups

Combine the egg, yolk, lemon juice, mustard, one tablespoon of water, and salt into a blender and process on the lowest setting for about 30 seconds.  With the lid on and feed hole open, run the blender on the lowest setting and slowly add half of the canola oil in a steady stream through the feed hole. Add the rest of the water.   Continue adding the rest of the oil in a thin steady stream until fully combined. You'll be able to hear the gurgle change to a lower tone as the mixture thickens into a mayonnaise consistency. Take care not to turn the blender to a higher setting or dump the oil in too quickly - you will break the emulsion.  If that happens, the oil and egg will not combine into mayonnaise.  The two ingredients will remain separate and you will need to dump it and start over.  Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli into another container, label, date and refrigerate until ready for use. When refrigerated, the aioli should keep in a sealed container for approximately one week.  Optionally, you can add a whole-peeled garlic clove before you start adding the oil (I usually add the garlic because it adds great flavor).  

Flavorful Roja Sauce Recipe

• Mulato chile, dried, stemmed and seeded 1
• Ancho chile, dried, stemmed and seeded 1/2
• Guajillo chile, dried, stemmed and seeded 1
• Hot chili powder 1 tablespoon
• Cumin powder 1 teaspoon
• Coriander seed 1 tablespoon
• Hot water 1 cup
• Peeled Roma, plum or San Marzano tomatoes 1-28 Oz can 
• Medium yellow onion, peeled and diced 1
• Medium shallot, peeled and diced 1
• Large garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2
• Canola oil 3 tablespoons
• Fresh cilantro, stems removed & chopped 2 springs
• Blue agave or honey 1 tablespoon
• Juice from large fresh lime 1 
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wearing kitchen gloves, rip the chiles into multiple pieces and toast them in a large skillet with no oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until they begin to change color. Add hot chili powder, cumin and coriander and continue to toast for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add hot water to just cover the chiles, about 1 cup. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, onion, shallot, garlic and 1 tablespoon of canola oil into a pot over high-heat until boiling.  Stir frequently until tomatoes break down, thicken and combine with the other ingredients.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. 

Transfer chili mixture to a blender, then add the tomato and onion mixture to the blender.  Thoroughly mix the two while adding the remaining canola oil.  Transfer this mixture back to a large skillet and stir over medium heat until the flavors concentrate.  Add water if the mixture becomes too thick.  When the sauce reaches the consistency you like, remove from heat, allow to cool and carefully transfer back to the blender.  Blend while adding fresh lime juice, cilantro and salt & pepper to taste.  Lastly, taste the sauce.  If there is more heat or spice than you like, add small amounts of blue agave or honey (sugar works too) to moderate the heat intensity.  Thoroughly blend and once completely cool, transfer to a squirt bottle, label, date and refrigerate.  

Pico de Gallo

A great pico de gallo has many uses.  When I am entertaining, whether we are doing a Mexican dish or not, I frequently make fresh pico to go with tortilla chips.  There is simply nothing better.  If you analyze it, the complex flavors of the various vegetables, seasoning, oil, and fruit (optional) are the perfect compliment to a salty tortilla chip.  Throw in a delicious margarita and frankly, I could nosh on chips and pico and skip the entrée.  Pico is so versatile because you can vary the ingredients to your personal tastes.  In the photo above, you'll see red onion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, white onion, mango, garlic and peaches.  Here is a pro tip - when making a very spicy (hot) sauce, protein or other element in your dish, use a sweet fruit like pineapple or peaches to counter the heat.  Earlier we talked about a "flavor bomb" and this is another way to get there.  This is especially important if you are making pico to go with spicy barbacoa (BBQ) or carne asada tacos.  

The pico recipe that follows has become my standard for fish tacos (photo below):

Mike's Fish Taco Pico Recipe

• Large ripe tomatoes, remove core and dice 6
• Large ripe mango, peel and dice 1
• Fresh cilantro, chopped 1 cup
• White onion, peel and dice 1
• Fresh red pepper, stem and seeds removed, dice 1
• Fresh garlic cloves, peel and mince 2
• Canola oil, 2 tablespoons
• Fresh juice of 1 large lime
• Fine sea salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Cover with plastic wrap, label, date and refrigerate.  

Pickled Red Onion Recipe

Pickling anything requires some lead time.  These pickled red onions are best after pickling for no less than 24 hours.  Peel a large red onion and slice into thin sections.  Break apart the thin slices into individual rings.  Put the rings into a mason jar, sprinkle with a teaspoon each of cumin powder and sea salt and fill the mason jar with white vinegar.  The acid from the vinegar will pull the red anthocyanin pigment from the cell walls of the onion and turn the individual rings and the vinegar pink.  These pink onion rings add incredible color to any taco and the pickling adds acid to the dish that compliments the other flavors.  That's all there is to it.  

Tortillas

This also becomes a matter of personal preference.  My son Tim generally does not care for corn tortillas.  I happen to prefer them over flour tortillas.  You can find good tortillas everywhere, but they may not be fresh.  Generally, the common flour tortillas you find in grocery stores will have a shelf life of about 2-3 months.  So, once you open them, they are good for about 3-4 weeks if you refrigerate them.  Corn tortillas have a shelf life about twice as long.  Some tortillas will last even longer but you should question how the manufacturer is able to accomplish that. The answer is preservatives.  

The bottom line is, you can ruin awesome tacos by using stale or outdated tortillas.  Before you use them, take a whiff, especially with flour tortillas.  If they begin to smell like rancid oil or outdated flour, don't use them. You can make your own corn tortillas using masa harina and warm water.  Keep in mind that masa is not the same as corn flour or corn meal.  The fundamental difference is that masa contains akaline and flour or corn meal do not.  You can't make proper corn tortillas without masa harina.  

You don't need a tortilla press although a nice cast iron press makes the process much easier.  If you don't own a press, put the masa ball between two pieces of a zip-lock bag and press the back side of a salad plate over the top side of the bag to mash the ball into a disc that conforms to the back of the plate.  This method works great.  Peel the raw tortilla off the plastic bags and toss into a hot skillet.  Heat for a couple minutes, flip and repeat.  Flour tortillas work pretty much the same way.  If you want authentic Mexican taste, add some lard.  There are great recipes online.  Most folks may not wish to tackle home-made tortillas but they are great.  If you try it at home, you might also consider experimenting by adding garlic, spinach, kale, hibiscus (thank you Mexican Sugar), saffron, molasses, chili powder, smoked paprika....the possibilities are endless.  

Corn tortillas are thin and tend to tear which is why most restaurants double up on the corn tortillas.  Flour tortillas tend to be more robust. Some restaurants steam their tortillas ensuring they are hot and pliable.  Whatever your preference, hot and pliable are essential qualities.  Here's how to do it.  Buy a tortilla warmer which is essentially a cloth pouch.  Insert the tortillas and microwave them for about 30 seconds.  The tortillas come out hot and steamy.  

When assembling your tacos, you can lay the tortillas flat on the plate or place them into stainless steel taco holders.  I use 3-taco holders.  You can order them online or find them at your local restaurant supply warehouse. They come in handy.  

The Fish

You can essentially use any fish to make great fish tacos.  Cod, tilapia, mahi mahi, flounder, grouper and other whitefish are the most popular because they are relatively mild and light in texture that won't overpower the other flavors.  I also have seen plenty of cases where restaurants used salmon, seared ahi tuna, red snapper, halibut and swordfish (thank you Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain).  I have used them all depending on what was available at the time or how much I wanted to spend.  

For our fish taco recipe, I am using cod.  You can find it at most supermarkets, usually frozen, sometimes fresh and at a reasonable price.  An important thing to know about defrosting fish or any protein is to do it slowly.  Don't use the defrost function on the microwave because it will often cook the outer edges of the fish or protein and ruin it.  Either put the frozen fish into the refrigerator 24 hours before you need it or put it (in the bag) under cold running water until fully defrosted.  

Remember that whether you are frying the fish in a skillet or deep frying in oil, the thicker the cut of fish, the longer it will take to cook through.  No one like undercooked gelatinous fish.  Get a quick-read digital thermometer and however you plan to cook the fish, the ideal internal temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The flesh should be opaque and flaky when it is completely done.  If deep frying in oil, a good rule of thumb for doneness is when the fish floats after you flip it a time or two.  Still, check the internal temperature.  Doneness is important, but food safety is even more important.  Some fish can carry parasites and bacteria.  Even though the recommended temperature is 145 degrees, I go to 160 degrees because that is the temperature above which all food-borne pathogens are killed.  Just saying.  

Method 1 - Dredged, diced and skillet-fried

Prepare the dredging mixture:

Dredging Recipe

• All-purpose flour 1 Cup
• Fine sea salt 2 teaspoons
• Black pepper 1 teaspoon
• Garlic powder 1 teaspoon

Thoroughly mix and dredge the cod on all sides.  Place the cod fillet on a cutting board and dice the fillet.  Pre-heat 1 tablespoon of corn oil in a skillet (you know it's ready when you flick a couple droplets of water into the skillet and it pops and turns to steam). Transfer the diced fish into the skillet.  Stir with a spatula for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned.  Place the cooked fish on the tortilla(s), top with diced white onion, cilantro leaves, squeeze a lime wedge over it and add sauce. Top off with pickled red onions.  Sometimes I will add the pickled red onions and then the sauce or just go straight for two or three sauces.  Enjoy!

Method 2 - Dredged Strips of Fish Skillet-Fried

Everything in Method 2 is the same as in Method 1 except you do not dice the fish.  Carefully place the dredged fillet into the skillet and fry it until browned evenly on both sides (and check the temp).

Add whatever toppings you like.  Below I keep it simple with Mexican sour cream, pickled red onions, white onions, cilantro and lime.  

Deep Frying and Kitchen Safety

Here it gets a little more complicated.  Years ago, I bought a small appliance called a "Fry Baby."  These things are great for fried fish, arancini, flash frying meatballs, French fries, etc.  You must use an appropriate frying oil that has a smoke point of above 375 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise, the oil with burn up, turn dark and taste nasty.  There are also some good chemistry reasons to use an oil that has a high smoke point - heating edible oils beyond their smoke points causes the oil to breakdown, generate toxic fumes and creating cancer-causing substances called "free-radicals."  Do not try to use a salad oil or extra virgin olive oil.  You're asking for trouble.  Use peanut oil, high-heat soybean oil, corn oil or any other oil specifically made for deep frying.  A small frying appliance is convenient because it will help regulate the temperature and give you a frying basket that will make it easy to remove the fried fish and drain excess oil back into the fryer.  But if you don't have one, don't despair.  A nice 12-quart stainless pot or Dutch oven works just fine.  You'll need a good high-heat thermometer and you'll need to constantly monitor the oil temperature as you adjust the heat up and down.  

If I am not using my "Fry Baby," I will usually take the pot or Dutch oven outside to the side burner on my gas grill.  This way, if I generate excess smoke, it's all outdoors.  Same concept if the oil catches fire, which I have seen happen.  Here is a really important safety tip.  Any time you are frying with oil indoors or outdoors, keep the lid next to the stove or grill.  Also have a fire extinguisher and/or box of baking soda handy.  If the pot catches fire, do not pour water on it.  Water will cause the oil to explode and spread the fire in every direction, probably also on you.  The best thing to do is to quickly smother the fire with a tight fitting lid.  This deprives the fire of oxygen and puts out the fire immediately.  If for some reason you can't do that, use a kitchen fire extinguisher or baking soda.  This will make one hell of a mess and you'll need to call one of the restaurants on my list for carryout or delivery, but it should save your house.  Kitchen fires are scary but they can be a non-issue if you are prepared and don't freak-out.  Naturally, if a fire gets out of control because you stepped away for a minute, get everyone out of the house and call 911.  

Method 3 - Battered and Deep-Fried

First, we need to make a great batter.  I like beer batter because it's simple and I think the beer adds extra flavor.  For this purpose, practically any beer will do.  In fact, the cheaper the better although I do love to use a dark beer such as a nut brown ale or stout like Guinness.  I used to use a can of PBR in my restaurant and it worked better for cooking than it was for drinking.  

Rather than giving an exact recipe for the batter, I prefer to give you some guidelines. Here you go:

Beer Batter Guidelines

• Can or bottle of PBR, Guinness, Newcastle or other beer
• All-purpose flour - see below
• Fine Sea Salt - 2 teaspoons
• Pepper - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic Powder - 1 teaspoon

Mix in all-purpose flour until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.  If you want the fish to be a little crunchier, use less beer.  If you want the breading to be thinner, add less flour such that the mixture is more fluid than typical pancake batter.  If the batter gets clumpy, an immersion blender can smooth it out. I think it is best to refrigerate the batter and fish for at least 30 minutes before you start dipping and frying.  

If you want thicker breading, dredge the fish fillet using the recipe in Methods 1 & 2, then dip the fillet into the beer batter.  Once fully coated, drop the fish into the 375 degree oil.  Generally, you should not touch the fish for 2-3 minutes and then flip the fish to ensure both sides are getting done equally.  The fish will float when done.  Check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer.  If the thermometer is near 160 degrees, remove it from the oil, let it drain and put the fried fillet on a plate lined with a couple of paper towels to absorb any excess oil.   After letting the fish rest for a minute or two, place the fish on the tortilla and add toppings.  

Photo below - Mike's beer-battered, deep-fried cod fish taco with pico de gallo, cilantro, pickled red onions, chipotle aioli and cilantro-lime crema on two corn tortillas and a wedge of lime.  Yum! 

Method 4 - Grilled With No Batter or Breading

Properly grilling light white fish is difficult.  Ensuring you have a hot drill surface and cool fish are keys.  A little non-stick spray doesn't hurt although you must oil the grill surface before you turn up the heat or you might be re-enacting a 1950s Godzilla movie.  Don't do that.  Oil the grill surface with a good quality high-heat oil (as discussed above) ensure the surface is plenty hot before you put the fish on.  The other important tip is not to do this directly on your gas grill.  Put non-stick foil on the grill before you fire it up or use a grate-skillet like the one pictured below.  This will save you a lot of grief because this fish will tend to stick and break apart.  

As you can see, I didn't do that well of a job oiling my pan and the fish was sticking more than I had hoped.  However, in the end, I was able to get the fish cooked to the proper temperature and get it into the tortilla in two pieces.  The only seasoning was sea salt, pepper and a light coating of smoked paprika. Another way to get there is to use a seafood grilling rack like my photo below.  I was able to grill these four good-sized pieces of cod without them falling between wider gas grill grates.  They were perfect.  Note the color and grill marks.  You can marinate fish in a zip-lock bag before grilling, but take care not to marinate too long - it will cause the fish to break down and fall apart.  

Method 5 - Beer Battered, Panko Bread Crumb Encrusted and Deep Fried

Remember how I mentioned a couple times in this post and the post on Authentic Mexican Restaurants that I did not see anyone doing a combination battered and bread crumb encrusted fish.  Well, we're doing one here.  If you're going to have breading on fish, this is the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned.  I got this idea when I had breakfast at the Hudson Café on Woodward Ave in Detroit recently.  For breakfast I was ordering these awesome looking crepes when the server asked, "Would you like a side of catfish with that?"  I said, "Hell Yes!"

The catfish was coated in bread crumbs and fried and went very nicely with the bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce that was on the table.  When was prepping my beer batter, I was planning to bake some catfish that evening for dinner and thought "why not just dip that catfish in my beer batter and then roll it in panko bread crumbs, then toss it in the Fry Baby?"  So that is exactly what I did.  The procedure follows Method 3 except you run the fillet through panko after the batter.  It takes a little longer to cook but man it has a flavor and crunch that I rarely see in fried fish.  The batter and panko also moderated the fishiness of the catfish that can be off-putting for a lot of people.  

Check out the photo below to see the difference between the plain beer-battered fish and the battered and panko encrusted fish.

Below are more appropriately-sized catfish tacos using Method 5 and some of the Louisiana Hot Sauce.  

The finished product with the Method 5 catfish tacos, hot sauce, pico and cilantro lime crema.  

More Photos of Food

Below are a few random photos of my Authentic Mexican-inspired food if you need additional inspiration.  Enjoy!