Hard-shell Tacos (Tacos Dorados)
Lucia Rodriguez opened Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, California in 1937, and the hard shell tacos she served helped bring Mexican food to an American audience. Glen Bell, the daddy of Taco Bell, ate here in the early 1950s, took notes, and built on what he tasted. But, if we’re keeping it real, the homemade version is MUCH better. Freshly fried corn tortillas folded around seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, tomato, and chilled shredded cheese. This is the taco that, in many ways, started it all and paved the way.
P.S. My homie Chef Jonathan Zaragoza and I did a video all about burritos and the history, peep it here!
Our tacos prepped for frying lookin’ all cute.
Stuff I Use...
Our finished and garnished Mitla cafe inspired “hard-shell tacos.”
Hard-Shell Tacos
Ingredients
Instructions
- Whisk together and store in an airtight jar.
- Season the chuck roast generously on all sides with kosher salt and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor. Pat dry, then coat the roast in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the carne asada seasoning, pressing it in so it sticks.
- Heat the neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 minutes per side. Pour in the beef stock, cover, and braise in a 300°F oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred the beef directly in the pot so it soaks up the braising liquid. Keep warm.
- Stack the corn tortillas, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until soft and pliable.
- Lay each tortilla flat and add a heaping tablespoon of shredded beef down the center. Fold in half and stack the filled tacos on a plate as you go.
- Heat the lard and oil together in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the fat is shimmering. Working in batches, lay the folded tacos in the hot fat. Fry until the first side is deep golden and crisp, about 2 minutes, then flip and fry the second side until equally crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Gently pry each taco open along the fold. Layer in shredded iceberg first, then diced tomato, then pile in a heap of cold shredded cheddar.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on the side, plus salsas and lime wedges.
Adam's Notes
- The cold cheese hitting the hot, crispy shell is the whole point. Cheddar from a bag will not give you the same melt or texture, so grate it yourself and keep it cold until the moment you build.
- Lard does the flavor work, oil does the volume work. Just enough lard to taste it, the rest is neutral oil so you do not burn through a tub.
(Top) Old El Paso taco shells with ground beef. These are NOT my homemade version. I just thought they looked nice :)
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