Puffy Tacos

By DreiFromBK

A San Antonio specialty, puffy tacos are traditionally made by deep-frying and shaping fresh masa de maiz (finely ground hominy) until it puffs into a light, crispy taco shell. We use dried masa harina, since it is more readily available, and mix it with warm water to form a pliable dough. Frying in a saucepan requires less oil, and the pan’s smaller profile makes the tacos easier to shape. For a flavorful filling, picadillo made with ground beef, green bell pepper, onions, garlic, and cumin fits the bill.

Ingredients

• Serves 6 to 8
• We used Maseca Brand Instant Masa Corn Flour for our taco shells. The dough should not be sticky and should have the texture of Play-Doh. If the dough cracks or falls apart when pressing the tortillas, just reroll and press again.
• Ingredients
• Picadillo
• 12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
• 1/2 russet potato (4 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup water
• Taco Shells
• 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) masa harina
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups warm water
• 2 quarts vegetable oil
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Chopped tomato
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Hot sauce

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE PICADILLO: Combine beef, potato, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until meat and potatoes begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up meat with spoon. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

3. FOR THE TACO SHELLS: Mix masa harina and salt together in medium bowl. Stir in warm water with rubber spatula. Using your hands, knead mixture in bowl until it comes together fully (dough should be soft and tacky, not sticky), about 30 seconds. Cover dough with damp dish towel and let rest for 5 minutes.

4. Divide dough into 12 equal portions, about 1/4 cup each, then roll each into smooth ball between your hands. Transfer to plate and keep covered with damp dish towel. Cut sides of 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, leaving bottom seam intact.

5. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large saucepan until it measures 2 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.

6. When oil comes to temperature, enclose 1 dough ball at a time in split bag. Using clear pie plate (so you can see size of tortilla), press dough flat into 6-inch circle (about 1/8 inch thick).

7. Carefully remove tortilla from plastic and drop into hot oil. Fry tortilla until it puffs up, 15 to 20 seconds. Using 2 metal spatulas, carefully flip tortilla. Immediately press down in center of tortilla with 1 spatula to form taco shape, submerging tortilla into oil while doing so. Using second spatula, spread top of tortilla open about 1 1/2 inches. Fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.

8. Transfer taco shell to prepared rack and place upside down to drain. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining dough balls.

9. Divide picadillo evenly among taco shells, about 1/4 cup each. Serve immediately, passing lettuce, tomato, cheddar, and hot sauce separately.