Tacos de canasta recipe

Tacos de Canasta o Sudados (The Basket of Tacos)

The Tacos de Canasta, also known as Sudados, are typically served in Mexico when celebrating something or for special occasions, for practical reasons since preparing all these different taco flavours found in the basket can be an overwhelming task for just an ordinary family meal... The idea with these Tacos is that they are served with different flavors, all tightly wrapped up in the same basket; then everyone present will get to try them all. The usual flavors used in the Canasta vary per cook, but here are a few examples: fríjol (refried beans), papa (potatoes), mole verde, chicharrón en salsa roja, eggs, stewed red meat (tinga style), etc... The main point is that these tacos are served carefully wrapped, so they become steamed fom their own vapor.

Often Tacos are served with a green salsa, be it with jalapeños or with habaneros, depending on the desired spiciness. One also frequently featured with these tacos would be a martajada salsa (this means chunky and coarse, as opposed to liquefied) or with the classic chiles. When labeled as 'Sudados' this means they were arranged in a woven basket, lined with cloth, placed when still very hot and then they were carefully wrapped by many layers of aluminum foil and more cloth; thus sealing the basket, so that the water vapors stayed trapped in the basket and went back to the tortillas, softening them.

Recipe for delicious Tacos de Canasta

Ingredients

* 40-50 genuine corn Tortillas
* 10 dry ancho Chiles
* 1 onion
* 2 tablespoons of olive Oil
* 5-6 sprigs of cilantro, or coriander powder
* 1 Clove of garlic
* Salt to your taste

The different types of taco toppings (these are suggestions):
* Chicharrón in red sauce (Pork rind or even bacon in tomato sauce, see here for recipe)
* Mole verde (Green mole) with chicken (recipe for Mole Verde here)
* Frijoles refritos (mashed pinto, or black beans)
* potatoes with chorizo sausages
* meat in adobo

Cooking Instructions

1) Line the bottom of a woven basket or of wicker with two layers of cloth, large enough so it hangs out of the basket. Finally, over the bottom cloth place some plastic wrap so that it will cover the basket once it will be filled with the tacos we are about to make; all this is designed to help keep the humidity trapped inside.

2) wash the chilies and cook them together with the garlic and the onion. Once they have cooled down a little bit, blend everything along with two tablespoons of the water with which they were cooked. Add a pinch of salt and fry this salsa in a pan with a little bit of oil.

3) pour the sauce in a medium-sized and already warm bowl, then quickly dip the tortillas in the sauce and after, fill the tortillas with all proper toppings.

4) when you prepare the tacos only fold them in two then arrange them per type of filling by columns inside the basket, then one on top of the other, until the basket is full. The idea here is to act quickly, so we do not let the heat dissipate outside the basket.

5) it is important that you prepare and cover them about 45 minutes prior to serving them, since this is the time it takes for that heat and vapor from the taco's fillings has time to 'steam' the wrapping tortillas. This is where the 'sudados' designation comes from; cover the basket with the rest of the cloth and some plastic wrap.

Serve the basket while the tacos are still hot, accompany them with fresh cilantro and finely chopped onions. Of course the mandatory salsa verde and roja must be present also...