El Auténtico Puffy Taco Sanantoniano
Chapter 3 — Tacos: The Architecture of Assembly
You can drive Interstate 10 from San Antonio to the strip malls of Los Angeles, and if you know where to look, you will find the holy grail of the American taqueria canon. Invented by the Lopez family in the 1950s, the authentic puffy taco is no stale cardboard shell; it is fresh masa dropped straight into bubbling fat until it inflates into a golden cloud. Making these requires you to think like a taquero, locking in your prep and assembling directly out of the fryer so that the steaming, crispy shell shatters the moment you take a bite.
Ingredients
- masa harina2 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- warm water1 3/4 cup
- pork lard2 tbsp
- lard1 qt
- 80/20 ground beef1 lb
- pork lard2 tbsp
- white onion1/2 large
- serrano peppers2 med
- garlic3 med clove
- russet potato1 med
- Roma tomato1 large
- chili powder1 tbsp
- ground cumin1 1/2 tsp
- Mexican oregano1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- cracked black pepper1/2 tsp
- beef broth1/2 cup
- iceberg lettuce1 med
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- sharp cheddar cheese1 cup
- Salsa Verde or Roja1 cup
Method
- 01
Build the picadillo.
Melt two tablespoons of lard in a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion, serranos, and garlic until softened, then deeply brown the beef without draining the fat. Toast the spices in the hot beef fat for sixty seconds before stirring in the grated tomato, potatoes, and broth, dropping the heat to low, and simmering until the liquid reduces to a thick, clinging gravy.
- 02
Hydrate the masa dough.
Whisk the masa harina and salt in a bowl, then pour in the melted lard and warm water. Knead vigorously with your hands until the dough feels soft and tacky but not sticky, adding an extra splash of water if the edges crack when pressed.
- 03
Press the shells.
Divide the dough into twelve golf-ball-sized portions. Place each ball between two sheets of plastic and use a tortilla press or heavy pan to press it into a five-inch circle about an eighth of an inch thick.
- 04
Execute the taquero's dance and fry.
Heat your frying lard to 375°F in a heavy Dutch oven and slide in a raw tortilla. When it puffs violently within fifteen seconds, immediately flip it, pressing one metal spatula directly into the center to submerge it while holding the sides open with another spatula to form a classic U-shape.
- 05
Assemble immediately.
The puffy taco waits for no one, so pull the golden shell from the oil and immediately fill it with hot picadillo or Chapter 2 carne asada sliced thin across the grain. Top generously with crisp lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheddar, and your molcajete salsa, serving at once while the shell is still steaming and crispy.
Notes
Lard is strictly non-negotiable.
Do not substitute canola oil here. If you want the authentic shatter and chew of a legendary taqueria shell, you use pork manteca.
Press your roasted salsas through a molcajete.
Rather than blitzing your salsa ingredients in a food processor, crush them by hand. The rustic, varied texture clings to the puffy shell far better than a watery puree.