"Honestly, I’m just a white guy who got thrown into Hispanic culture and never looked back. I love to eat, but never went to culinary school. I’m just really nosey in the kitchen. To this day, if you ever make me food I’ll ask you a bunch of questions about how you made it, and what’s in it.

I love traveling (I pride myself at having gotten lost in eleven different countries), meeting new people, taking pictures, eating food, and telling stories. The blog is kind of like my excuse for doing all those things at once. The whole Wero Kitchen project at it’s core is really about community, and how food is such an integral part of what community is. Restauranteers and taqueros and chefs and churches and moms and dads and neighbors and everyone who gives food to one another is not just providing some sort of service; they’re caring for their community, literally keeping it alive, and that’s a beautiful thing worth exploring."

 

Why do you love tacos?

"Tacos really are a perfect dish, I mean it’s no wonder they have existed for centuries. Tacos have this incredible balance of flavors and textures and aromas, you have the warm tortilla, all sorts of fillings, some heat from the salsa, different herbs and spices, sometimes fruit, sometimes vegetables, the varieties are endless. You could eat tacos every day and probably never exhaust the different kinds that exist. The history and culinary tradition of tacos (the ‘inner beauty’, if you will) is fascinating. But to be honest I’m pretty shallow, the real reason I love tacos is because they are delicious."

 

What do tacos mean to you?

"Tacos mean late nights standing outside by the grill, laughing and sharing stories in between bites; they mean early mornings around the kitchen table, passing the salsa and waiting for the coffee to brew; they mean street corners and five star restaurants, eating with friends or strangers, traveling or being at home. Not to sound hyperbolic, but tacos fit into every aspect and moment of life, no matter where you are, and that makes them truly amazing."   

 

A little about this taco recipe. 

In Mexico they called this taco the campechano. But as my buddy (and master taquero) Damián Labarrère explained to me 'campechano' is just an expression for two things that have been mixed together. So don't be surprised if you see this name applied to any number of things. It can be any two kinds of meat mixed together in a taco, it can be a mixed drink, you can even be campechaneando la vida, mixing everything up your life. The recipe you have below is my version of the campechano I first had in Mexico City, but don't feel locked down to the recipe. Change it up, play around with it, add things you like. After all, you're the one who will be eating it.

 

RECIPE: CAMPECHANOS

Ingredients - yields about 8 tacos

1 lb of fresh Mexican chorizo

1 lb beef shoulder steaks, sliced thin (bistec suave in most carnicerias)

2 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and washed

1 small onion, julienned (cut into thin strips)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

2 limes, plus more for serving

8 corn tortillas

2 cups vegetable oil (divided use)

cilantro for garnish

salsa roja and salsa verde for serving

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Do ahead

1) Place the beef into a sealable container and add the onion, garlic, the juice of two limes, and about 1/4 cup of vegetable the vegetable oil. Gently toss to coat the meat in the marinade. Let stand for at least one hour or up to overnight.

2) Peel and wash your potatoes then cut into 1/4 inch thick matchsticks. Soak in cold water for about two hours or overnight.

For the Potatoes

1) Heat vegetable oil in a shallow pan or skillet to about 300 degrees.

2) In batches as not to crowd the pan, place the potatoes in the hot oil and cook until soft in the middle and easily pierced with a knife. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some paper towels.

3) Increase the heat of the oil to 400 degrees and return the potatoes to the oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy (this won’t take very long). Remove from the oil and drain on fresh paper towels. Season with salt and set aside.

Assemble your tacos

1) Cook the chorizo in a skillet or on a comal and set aside.

2) Heat the grill to high heat. Season the steaks generously with salt and cook for about one minute on each side or until cooked through. Cutting against the grain, slice into thin strips.

3) Warm the tortillas on a comal. Place chorizo, the potatoes and steak in a tortilla and top with salsa verde, cilantro and lime.

 

Don't all these photos look delicious!? We're super excited to have worked with WERO Kitchen and it's clear he's put a lot of Blood Sweat and Tacos behind this recipe to share with you guys. To keep up with him on his food and life journey, follow @werokitchen on instagram and on his blog www.werokitchen.com.

Thanks for checking this out and please share it with all your taco loving friends!

"Long Live the Taco!"

Gerald Flores
Founder | Designer | Taco Lover