Break the binary: Puffy Tacos are a crunchy delight
The common American perception of tacos is sadly binary: soft versus crispy, corn versus flour. I know, because before I became enlightened I contributed to these divides in my own conversations and writing.
Over the years, the more I traveled to Mexico and learned about its traditional foodways, I knew just enough to make common but wrong assumptions: I sniffed at the hard-shell taco, unfairly tagging it as nontraditional and, therefore, unworthy.
I considered my stance a corrective, but in truth it was an overreach, as much an attempt to distance myself from my hometown as anything else. As I later realized, not only is Tex-Mex food worthy of its own level of appreciation, but hard-shell tacos have strong connections to the motherland. Whether it’s tostadas, tacos dorados, or, as José R. Ralat wrote in Texas Monthly, the salbutes of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, tortillas have been fried for, well, probably as long as there have been masa and oil.
Adding even more evidence against the taco-shell binary is a San Antonio staple that may (or may not) have been invented there or somewhere else in Texas: the puffy taco. These are made by frying a round of freshly pressed masa. The disk puffs up, and the cook holds a spatula or other utensil in the center, to encourage it to form somewhat of a U shape (or, as one cook told Ralat, the shape of Mick Jagger’s lips). It’s ethereal and ephemeral; you drain it, fill it and eat or serve it pronto.
I like to keep the fillings fairly sparse — and not too liquidy, to avoid any sogginess. Puffy tacos demand immediate consumption, but making them with refried beans rather than anything soupier gives you a little more wiggle room.
What about that shaping technique? Well, that can take a little practice, too, although the worst thing that’s going to happen is that those Jaggeresque lips might end up pressed a little too closely together or open so wide the tacos are flatter like tostadas. If either of those things happens, no sweat: Just treat the fillings more like toppings, and the puffy tacos will be every bit as delicious and every bit as messy, in the best possible way.
Puffy Tacos With Beans
For the filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin Salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ¾ cups cooked or canned no-salt-added beans, such as black or pinto, drained
1 cup bean cooking liquid or water (if using canned)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice For the shells:
1 cup masa harina
¼ teaspoon fine salt Neutral oil, such as vegetable, for frying
For topping:
½ cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
½ cup any salsa
Sliced avocado
Sliced green onions
Make the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Stir in the onions and garlic and saute until tender. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, and saute just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the beans and bean liquid or water and cook until the beans are heated through and the flavors meld, about 3 minutes. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the mixture and cook until the beans are thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice, taste, and season with more salt if needed. Cover to keep warm while you make the shells.
Make the taco shells: In a medium bowl, stir together the masa harina, salt and ¾ cup water until it forms a soft ball the consistency of moist Play-Doh. If it’s too dry, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Form the dough into a large disk, then use a sharp knife to cut it into 8 equal wedges. Form each wedge into a ball, then use a tortilla press (lined with heavy plastic like that cut from large zip-top bags) or roll out with a rolling pin between layers of parchment paper to about a 5- to 6-inch circle. Keep the pressed circles in one layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and cover them with a clean, damp cloth.
Set a wire rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, and heat to 350 degrees.
Use a heat-safe spatula to gently lay a disk of dough in the oil; it should sink but quickly start to puff and float. After about 10 seconds, gently press the disk down in the center, encouraging it to slightly fold around the spatula into a wide V shape. You can also hold one side of the disk up with one spoon or spatula while gently pressing in the middle with the other.) Don’t try to fold too much, or you won’t leave room for fillings. Hold it while it fries, until light brown and crisp, another 20 seconds or so, turning it over in the oil as needed. Use tongs to gently lift it from the oil, letting the excess drip off, and transfer to the rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining masa disks.
To serve, spoon the filling into the taco shells and top with the cheese, salsa, avocado and onions. Makes 2 to 4 servings. Recipe adapted from “Cool Beans” by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, 2020).