Green Chorizo and Potato Tacos

By KDHarmon

A punchy, herb-forward Green Chorizo is the star of these tacos, but the hidden heroes are the tiny cubes of fried potato—they’re salty, crispy, and absolutely irresistible. The addition of chicken broth helps hold the crumbly chorizo and bits of potato together. You can make your own Basic Corn Tortillas or Tex-Mex Flour Tortillas, making the tortillas on the small side (about 4 inches in diameter), or use store-bought tortillas. La Tortilla brand makes street-style half-corn, half-flour tortillas, which stay more pliable than the all-corn tortillas.

Traditional chorizo boasts a garnet color from smoky chile powder and paprika; this herb-forward Green Chorizo gets color and bright, smoky flavors from a thick paste of charred green chiles, cilantro, and oregano. The quick blast of heat during cooking slightly dulls the color of the herbs, so this recipe uses a dash of spinach powder to amp up the green. (We like Koyah brand spinach powder). This chorizo is made with Mexican oregano; unlike Greek oregano, which is a member of the mint family, Mexican oregano is from the verbena family and has more citrusy undertones. (It’s a subtle difference, so substituting one for the other is just fine!) For the best results, don’t let the Green Chorizo rest too long before cooking it; if you let it sit longer than 30 minutes, the acid in the vinegar will start to negatively impact the texture of the pork.

Ingredients

• Green Chorizo:
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 cups finely diced russet potatoes (from 2 medium potatoes)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 medium serrano chile (about 1/2 ounce)
• 1 large poblano chile (about 6 ounces)
• 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves (from 2 bunches)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh Mexican oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound 80 / 20 or 70 / 30 ground pork
• 1/3 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup finely diced white onion, rinsed in cold water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 18 (4-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• Lime wedges, for serving

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Chorizo:
Roast chiles over the open flame of a gas burner or under the broiler in a preheated oven, turning occasionally, until charred all over, about 2 minutes for serrano and 6 minutes for poblano. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand 15 minutes. Stem, peel, and seed poblano. Stem and peel serrano, reserving seeds. Pat chiles dry. Set chiles aside.

Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium. Add garlic cloves, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and softened, about 12 minutes. Let garlic cool, and peel cloves. Add coriander seeds and cumin seeds to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Combine chiles, garlic, ground spices, cilantro, vinegar, spinach powder (if using), oregano, and salt in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Cover and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Combine chiles, garlic, ground spices, cilantro, vinegar, spinach powder (if using), oregano, and salt in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Cover and chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Tacos:
Step 1
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add potatoes in a single layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined bowl, and toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Do not wipe out skillet, and return skillet to heat over medium-high; add chorizo, and cook, stirring often, until crumbled and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Step 2
Stir together onion, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Top each tortilla evenly with about 2 tablespoons chorizo, about 1 tablespoon potatoes, and about 1 teaspoon onion mixture. Serve tacos with lime wedges.

Makes 6 servings.