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| Two taquitos made like my grandmother used to make them |
Living in Texas, I have become familiar with flautas, which is similar to taquitos.
But flautas don't come close to my grandmother's taquitos.
If you are familiar with Mexican taquitos, and who isn't, then you know that these crunchy taste treats have a couple of features that make them popular.
First, they are eat-with-your-fingers food, meaning you simply pick them up and take a bite. No mess. No fuss.
The stuffing stays put, and they don't drip on your shirt. This makes taquitos a great appetizer, but taquitos are also fabulous as side dish to a meal such as enchiladas, or they are hearty enough to be the entree for a complete meal in itself: Just add Spanish rice and refried beens. What could be better?
A taquito is basically a rolled up tortilla with some sort of filling, usually meat, but it can be anything, and popular filling alternatives are potato or cheese.
The difference between a "Taquito" and a flauta is the tortilla. A taquito is made with a corn tortilla, and a flauta is usually prepared using a flour tortilla. That's my reasoning, but food such as this has many a variety of meanings.
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| Cookie sheet with taquito wings pinned and ready to fry |
My grandmother's taquitos were a great deal different in appearance. She made hers with a flap that allowed a side of guacamole to rest right on the fried tortilla. No spoon for scooping, or dipping needed.
You find terrific recipes for taquitos today but none, absolutely none, like my grandmother's version.
You can prepare "non wing" versions but… nothing beats my grandmother's taquitos with her tortilla designed with a "wing" to use as a landing spot for guacamole.
If you have never had a taquito, you are missing a fantastic food.
My grandmother's taquitos make an awesome snack food for my honey when watching football. It's football-watching season, and I got a bee in my bonnet yesterday and whipped them up in less than 30 minutes with what I had on the shelf. Mind you, I do keep these ingredients on hand.
My Grandmother's Taquitos
Ingredients on the Shelf or in the Freezer
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 small can of Crisco
3 cans roast beef, cut or shred into small pieces
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons catsup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Quacamole
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Cheddar cheese, finely grated (optional)
Filling
The filling is everything. It is the star, so get it right. After combining the following filling ingredients, be sure to taste and adjust as needed.
Heat the butter in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the chili powder, syrup, catsup, salt and pepper. Stir.
Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, about 3 minutes. Cook the mixture over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool.
Corn Tortillas
Since it's often not convenient to run to the nearest tortilla factory and buy fresh corn tortillas, you are stuck with a package of tortillas you buy at the grocery store. Not a problem if you heat them so they remember their fresh-made state.
To do this, get out your large cast-iron skillet or tortilla griddle. Place on the stove burner and heat on high till hot.
Add one tortilla at a time to the hot skillet. Turn quickly. Remove to your cutting board. They will be soft and pliable. Do not leave too long or the tortilla will cook and become not soft, and too brittle or crisp to roll.
Assembly
Place a spoonful of the cooled meat mixture on the edge of one tortilla.
Roll over once and "pin" with a toothpick at the top and bottom, leaving a portion of the opposite tortilla edge open and flat.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Repeat until all tortillas are rolled into a taquito.
Fry
In your small frying pan, add the Crisco, and heat until hot. You want to simulate a deep fryer in that at least 2/3 of the "pinned" taquito will be immersed into the hot oil.
One at a time, place your "pinned" taquitos into the hot pan of oil. Let fry for a minute and turn to brown and crisp up both sides. Remove right away to rest on a paper towel. Repeat until all of your "pinned" taquitos are fried.
When done frying all 12, they should be cooled enough to add the guacamole. Take a heaping spoonful and swap across the "wing" of the taquitos.
Serve them hot on individual plates or one large serving tray. You can sprinkle with cheddar cheese and serve with sour cream and salsa. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients on the Shelf or in the Freezer
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 small can of Crisco
3 cans roast beef, cut or shred into small pieces
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons catsup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Quacamole
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Cheddar cheese, finely grated (optional)
Filling
The filling is everything. It is the star, so get it right. After combining the following filling ingredients, be sure to taste and adjust as needed.
Heat the butter in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the chili powder, syrup, catsup, salt and pepper. Stir.
Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, about 3 minutes. Cook the mixture over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool.
Corn Tortillas
Since it's often not convenient to run to the nearest tortilla factory and buy fresh corn tortillas, you are stuck with a package of tortillas you buy at the grocery store. Not a problem if you heat them so they remember their fresh-made state.
To do this, get out your large cast-iron skillet or tortilla griddle. Place on the stove burner and heat on high till hot.
Add one tortilla at a time to the hot skillet. Turn quickly. Remove to your cutting board. They will be soft and pliable. Do not leave too long or the tortilla will cook and become not soft, and too brittle or crisp to roll.
Assembly
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| Spoonful of meat on corn tortilla before rolling and pinning |
Roll over once and "pin" with a toothpick at the top and bottom, leaving a portion of the opposite tortilla edge open and flat.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Repeat until all tortillas are rolled into a taquito.
Fry
In your small frying pan, add the Crisco, and heat until hot. You want to simulate a deep fryer in that at least 2/3 of the "pinned" taquito will be immersed into the hot oil.One at a time, place your "pinned" taquitos into the hot pan of oil. Let fry for a minute and turn to brown and crisp up both sides. Remove right away to rest on a paper towel. Repeat until all of your "pinned" taquitos are fried.
When done frying all 12, they should be cooled enough to add the guacamole. Take a heaping spoonful and swap across the "wing" of the taquitos.
Serve them hot on individual plates or one large serving tray. You can sprinkle with cheddar cheese and serve with sour cream and salsa. Serves 4 to 6.
Tip: I use can roast beef, because that's what my grandmother did when she made her taquitos in the family restaurant. The can roast beef makes it handy to make these wonderful taquitos anytime the urge strikes you. But you can also use leftover roast beef. It's all about the flavor of the beef filling, so just use your judgement. I've made these taquitos with leftover pulled pork and they are incredibly delicious. I think the pork is my favorite.
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| Non-winged taquitos on plate |
Tip 3: A good test for freshness is that you can smell fresh corn tortillas through the packaging.
Tip 4: Use different fillings, such as potato, cheese or chicken taquitos by simply altering the filling.
Tip 5: Change the guacamole on the flap to something else.
That's it for today.