When we first moved to California we landed in San Francisco still craving the Mexican food we grew accustomed to in Southern Arizona and had not a clue what Californian-Mexican food could be. We moved in to a neighborhood that was walking distance to Tacolicious. Since tacos are a way of life, we strolled in, waited 45 minutes to be seated and fell in love with the boozy cocktail menu, drool-worthy salsas and all of their tacos. My favorite are the shot and a beer-braised tacos. The 45-minute wait was always worth it for a Paloma Margarita and 2…okay, maybe 3 tacos.
When we moved to LA 5+ years ago, we missed Tacolicious above all other restaurants. I might piss off some foodies, but to me, the food in LA is unquestionably better than in SF (don’t @ me) but nothing compares to the cheerful comfort food we loved from Tacolicious. Great news! As of Spring 2020, there is a new location in Manhattan Beach mere minutes from our house! We went as soon as it was acceptable to dine outdoors. I was surprised, mad and sad that these were not on the menu at the Manhattan Beach location so I had to figure out how to make them at home. Luckily the recipe is in their cookbook and it is identical to what we had dozens of times in San Francisco. I’ve had their cookbook for awhile now and haven’t picked it up much because up until quarantine and moving in to a house with a slightly larger and much more functional kitchen, I didn’t cook that much. I know, a nutritionist who eats out all the time is probably not the norm, but I’m not judging myself and hope you won’t either!
Okay, I picked up the cookbook to make these and was delighted nay, visibly overjoyed that they’re made at least partially in a Dutch oven. As a newer cook, I have fallen IN LOVE with my Dutch oven. Here’s the one we use.
It makes cooking so approachable to me in that I’ve made some damn delicious dishes that really surprised The Banker / Kaare ….(I think he’s fine if we use his name after all these years) and it didn’t require a full kitchen staff or hours of clean up!
Without further ado, here is the recipe almost exactly how it appears in the book… I’m not one to fix what ain’t broken but I will say I recommend you use organic ingredients wherever possible especially with the produce and chicken. Organic chickens have less saturated fat and are higher in omega-3 fatty acids which is so much better for you…and the chicken!
Shot-and-a-beer-braised chicken tacos
INGREDIENTS
3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 yellow onion chopped
1 habanero chile, stemmed
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (12 oz) bottle of your favorite Mexican beer (I use Corona Premier)
1 shot (1 1/2 oz) of your favorite tequila
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
2 TBS kosher salt
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS dried Mexican oregano
Corn tortillas warmed (I love Siete cassava flour tortillas)
Chopped white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges and salsa and hot sauce of your choice for serving.
Toast the ancho and chipotle chiles in a dry, heavy skillet over medium heat, turning once, for about 30 seconds on each side, until fragrant but not blackened. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, working in batches, add the chicken thighs and cook turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned. Add an extra drizzle of oil if needed to prevent sticking. As the thighs are ready, transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
Add the onion and habanero to the oil remaining in the pot and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion is caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the toasted chiles, beer, tequila, broth, tomatoes, salt, cumin and oregano, turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for at least 15-minutes until the chiles have completely softened. Remove and let cool.
Preheat over to 325F.
While the oven is heating, pour the chile mixture into a blender and process until almost completely smooth. Return the chicken to the pot and pour the the pureed chile mixture over the top.
Cover the pot, place in the oven and cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring if necessary to prevent sticking, for 25-30 min until the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. Remove from oven and use a form or tongs to shred leaving it in the sauce.
Serve with tortillas, onion, cilantro and lime.
