Will you look at that? Just when you thought you knew most, if not all, taco varieties, bam! There’s a new one to try! We will show here How to Make Brunch Puffy Tacos. The stuffing of choice today for these is Machaca con Huevo, a favorite breakfast/brunch in the Northern Mexican states. But of course, feel free to experiment. You can try as many other fillings your heart desires for your puffy tacos.
Now, what exactly is Machaca con Huevo? Machaca is dry beef meat. People in the above mentioned States have been sun-drying and shredding beef for centuries. I guess you could say it is a South of the Border version of jerky. The reason it is ubiquitous in the Northern States is because they have the ideal intense sun/low humidity climate to do this. A humidity of 60% or, preferably, less, is perfect for these purposes. Although, if you have a good quality dehydrator handy, you can always make your own Machaca. Huevo, on the other hand, translates to egg, which is why these Brunch Puffy Tacos are ideal for breakfast and brunch.
Now, a bit of background on the puffy tacos. I will start by explaining that we don’t really make puffy tortillas or tacos in Mexico. Whenever a tortilla goes rogue and puffs up, the cook will mercilessly flatten it into submission. Think about it. The flatter the tortilla, the more filling you can fill/top it with! There is a dish in Mexican gastronomy, though, called “Infladitas“. They are the Mexican dish that most closely resembles puffy tacos. Infladitas are open-faced, puffed up tostadas that have also been around in Mexico since time immemorial.
But I digress, going back to today’s subject, legend has it that Puffy Tacos were created by accident, when a lady dropped a spatula and it fell on the tortilla she was frying, which then puffed up, creating thus a nice, airy tortilla shell. That is really nothing new. Tortillas always tend to do that when you fry them, as hot air balloons in the air pockets.
It was really two brothers, Henry and Ray Lopez, who first commercially launched Puffy Tacos by including them in their San Antonio, Texas Ray’s Drive Inn restaurant menu. The rest, as they say, is history. Puffy Tacos went on the become San Antonio’s most emblematic dish.
Brunch Puffy Tacos
Ingredients
- For the Puffy Tacos:
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 cup wheat all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- peanut oil enough for frying
- For the Machaca con Huevo:
- 1/4 cup red or white onion chopped
- 1 unit Jalapeno seeded, deveined and chopped
- 6 tbsp Machaca dried meat you can find it online or in specialty Latin food stores
- 6 units large eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For garnish:
- chopped onion
- your favorite sauce
- fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Make the masa dough: In a bowl, using a fork whisk masa harina, wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Once incorporated, pour in warm water gradually as you knead the dough with your hands until a smooth ball comes together. If the dough is too dry, add more warm water, but one tablespoon at a time. In your palms, form a small 1" (it is better to make small tortillas as they will fry faster and absorb less oil, but feel free to make larger tortillas if you so desire) masa dough ball, place it in a tortilla press lined with plastic sheets or cling film, and flatten to form tortillas as thin as possible. If you don't own a tortilla press, you can always roll them out with a rolling pin or flatten and shape with your hands.
- Fry the puffy tacos: In a pot over medium-high heat, heat plenty of peanut oil. Once bubbly and hot, drop tortillas in pairs. The tortillas will initially sink and then they will rise to the surface. Fry tortillas spooning hot oil over so they puff up, for about a minute, until large bubbles form. Once they start puffing up, carefully press the sides of each puffy taco shell with two spatulas to shape them, without breaking them and/ot letting the air out. This could be challenging at first, but it will get easier as you make progress. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm.
- Make the Machaca con Huevo: In a large skillet saute the chopped onion for 1 – 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the chopped Jalapeno and fry together for another minute. Add the Machaca, and fry 30 seconds-1 minute, stirring constantly. Lightly beat the eggs together in a bowl, salt and pepper to taste and then pour into skillet with the Machaca meat mix. Stir until eggs are cooked and fluffy.
- Assemble the tacos: fill the puffy taco shells with the warm Machaca con Huevo, garnish and dollop with your favorite sauce. Enjoy!
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