VIVA MEXICO! TASTING TACOS THE REAL WAY — IN LOS CABOS
To taste a true taco, one may want to travel straight to the source: Mexico. And that’s apparently what many Canadians do.
Our South-of-two-borders neighbours are frequent hosts of Canadian travellers — and fervent foodies — including local creative Stefan Hartmann, the executive regional chef for Tacofino.
“There’s nothing like sampling the full range of flavours and learning a few secrets from the locals by taking a trip south of the border,” he admits.
One of the destinations of choice for tasting authentic Mexican cuisine is Los Cabos, home of the One&Only Palmilla Resort.
We caught up with the Chef Larbi Dahrouch, the mastermind behind the resort’s Agua by Larbi restaurant, to talk taco tasting.
The key, he stresses, to a perfect taco is simplicity.
“It’s simple,” he says of the hand-held eats. “It’s whole, roasted chicken or fish, vegetables and a few different sauces. And then a tortilla. That’s a taco. It’s not like in the States where a taco is fried.”
The Morocco-born, Franceraised chef has been cooking up Mexican cuisine in the resort destination for more than 15 years, and he says, in that time, there has been a constant re-education of many North American visitors on what a real taco should taste like.
And he often does so, during peak travel season, at an astounding rate of 300 tacos served per day.
“It’s because of Tex-Mex,” he says of the fusion food that sees the introduction of fried elements and lots of cheese. “A lot of people ask me why no cheese. And I tell them it’s all about the flavour of the meat and the fish. It shouldn’t be covered in cheese and sauces.”
He says many restaurants cover up their meats with saucy toppings in order to hide a lower-quality cut or an older catch.
“For fish, it shouldn’t be older than three days,” he advises of fresh-caught fish. For longer-held options, he says, it’s key to learn that the fish has been handled with the following process: catch, cut and frozen right away.
After the main taco filling — the meat — has been decided, it’s on to cooking. For cooking the meat, Larbi says it’s important to keep the process as simple as the toppings. After adding chosen spices to fresh-cut meat, Larbi likes to cook the meat or fish in a pan using only oil.
“I cook it in grapeseed oil because it’s healthier for you and it resists high-heat,” he says of his cooking oil of choice. “I use olive oil to finish and, to cook, I use grapeseed oil. It’s the best.”
The chef advises home cooks heat the pan first, then add the oil — never heating the oil in a cold pan. Then, while the chosen meat is cooking, he adds garlic and chopped cilantro for additional flavour.
For vegetables, Chef Larbi likes to incorporate a variety of options for his eats including radish, tomato, jalapeño, onion, avocado and carrot. And the best way, according to the seasoned chef, is to julienne the vegetables and marinate them in a bowl containing simply some olive oil with salt and pepper to add a subtle flavour to the fresh, bright flavours of the vegetables.
So, what makes a good taco so universally appealing in this seasoned chef’s eyes? For Larbi, it all comes down to ease.
“They’re very easy to grab and eat. They’re like a sandwich,” he says with a smile, undoubtedly referring to the fact many of the resort’s tacos are consumed while guests lounge poolside or at the beach.
“And, of course, they’re good,” he adds.
It’s all about the flavour of the meat and the fish. It shouldn’t be covered in cheese and sauces.”
Chef Larbi Dahrouch