Taco Tuesday: Chorizo & Sweet Potato Tacos + A Trip to Midtown Global Market
I finally got around to getting a Minnesota driver's license (Minnesota, woo-hoo!) which is the kind of task that generally stresses me out to no end. No one wants to spend any time hangin' around the DMV, I know, but I also found I had to take a written exam! Whaaaaat?! And I thought the fact that I had to drag my butt out of bed on my day off, shower and make myself presentable was a feat in itself. Yes, first world problems.
Much to my excitement, I realized the DMV was housed within the same building as Midtown Global Market. Score! Suddenly I was alllll about this DMV trip, especially since I had been wanting to get some fresh chorizo from one of my favorite stands, El Burrito Mercado, to make tacos. So I enjoyed the friendly staff (seriously!) at the DMV and an hour of people-watching, then merrily made my way up to the market. If you haven't been to Midtown Global Market, it's definitely worth a trip. There are a variety of ethnic cuisines and groceries all under one roof, or as they've coined, "Many tastes. One place." One of the stands has the most beautiful-looking lamb chops for an obscenely low price. I think that will be my next exciting purchase.
Back to the sausage. Much to my dismay, they were out of this fresh chorizo I'd been yearning for for months. I asked a guy at the counter and he said they didn't have any that day. Bummed, I loitered around the area trying to decide what I was going to make instead. A few minutes later, an angel in an apron pulled out a fresh package of chorizo for me from their back fridge. Talk about miracles. I also picked up a big bag of their blue corn tortillas, fresh tortilla chips and salsa de arbol.
Speaking of miracles, this meal was a miracle in my mouth. The chorizo was so fresh, flavorful, with just enough kick. The sweet potatoes provide a sweet antidote to the salty, spicy chorizo. Potatoes in a taco might sound a bit strange, but you'll just have to put faith in this recipe and forge ahead.
Chorizo & Sweet Potato Tacos
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. fresh Mexican chorizo (not Spanish), removed from casing
2 small sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
6 tortillas (I used blue corn)
salt/pepper, to taste
To Serve:
1 avocado, diced
your favorite salsa
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Method:
1. Bring a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add chorizo to pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Let it brown slightly and until much of the fat has rendered out. Using a slotted spoon, remove chorizo from pan, place in a bowl and cover to keep warm.
2. Add diced onions to the chorizo grease and saute for a few minutes until just softened. Add in sweet potatoes. I had enough grease to cook the potatoes, but if you need more, add a neutral-flavored oil or butter. You'll want to keep the heat high so you can brown the potatoes slightly, but then lower heat a bit to continue cooking until the potatoes have softened to your desired consistency. I like mine with a bit of bite to them still, not crunchy but also not too mushy. It probably took about 10-15 minutes.
3. While potatoes and onions are cooking, turn warm setting on oven, or heat to 250 degrees. Place tortillas in oven to warm until ready to eat.
4. Once the potatoes are close to finished, add the chorizo back into the pan and mix thoroughly. Season with salt/pepper to taste and remove from heat. Place a few spoonfuls of the mixture in a warmed torilla and serve with diced avocado, salsa and sour cream/Greek yogurt. Go back for seconds.
