Vampiros tacos
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cooking Time:
35 minutes
Servings:
4
Tacos, tostadas, and quesadillas are all part of one crowded, complicated family of Mexican foods: antojitos, (“little cravings”) refers to street snacks or appetizers. In reality, most antojitos never make it beyond Mexico’s borders, including a funky street snack in Sinaloa called a vampiro. Imagine a corn-tortilla taco that’s cooked on a grill until it turns crackly and crunchy. Then add a layer of gooey melted jack cheese between the tortilla and the other toppings.
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Ingredients
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For the tacos:
½ cup orange juice
2 8-ounce cans chipotle in adobo, puréed
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound chicken breast meat
2½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 corn tortillas
For the pico de gallo and serving:
5 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 small white onion or red onion, diced
1 small green chile, like jalapeño or serrano, stemmed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lime wedges, to serve
Directions
Make the tacos:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the orange juice, chipotle purée, and chicken broth.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the chicken.
Gently poach the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 157 degrees Fahrenheit, about 15–20 minutes. Do not let the liquid boil.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and bring the cooking liquid to a boil.
Boil the cooking liquid until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and return it to the cooking liquid.
Preheat a griddle over medium-high heat.
Arrange 4 of the tortillas on a clean work surface and sprinkle each with cheese.
Place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese-covered tortillas.
Add a spoonful of chicken and a generous pinch of cheese to the center of the tortillas.
Working in batches, if needed, carefully fold the tortillas in half and place them on the griddle.
When the tacos are golden brown and crispy on the bottom and the cheese starts to melt, about 5 minutes, flip the tortillas and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 5 more minutes.
Make the pico de gallo and serve the tacos:
In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, chile, lime juice, and cilantro until well combined.
Season the pico de gallo with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the tacos hot with pico de gallo and lime wedges.
