Tacos de Canasta

Tacos de Canasta — basket tacos — are a Mexico City institution. Soft, lard-glazed tacos stuffed with mashed potato, chicharrón in salsa or refried beans are packed tightly into a basket lined with plastic and cloth, where they steam in their own heat for hours, becoming irresistibly soft and saturated. Vendors cycle through the city from the early hours, a fixture of the pre-dawn and late-night food landscape.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the tacos

• 20 small corn tortillas (12cm / 5 inch)
• 2 tbsp (30g) lard or neutral oil, for steaming

Potato and chorizo filling

• 400g (14 oz) potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft
• 100g (3½ oz) Mexican chorizo, skin removed
• 2 tbsp (30ml) neutral oil
• ½ small white onion, minced
• Salt to taste

Bean filling

• 400g (14 oz) cooked or tinned black or pinto beans
• 2 tbsp (30g) lard or oil
• ½ white onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
• Pickled jalapeños
• Finely shredded cabbage
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Potato and chorizo filling: Crumble chorizo into a pan and fry over medium heat until cooked, 4–5 minutes. Remove, leaving fat in the pan. Fry onion until soft, 3 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and mash roughly into the pan with a fork, incorporating the chorizo. Season with salt. Keep warm.
2. Bean filling: Fry onion and garlic in lard until soft, 4 minutes. Add beans and mash coarsely. Season with salt. Add a splash of bean cooking water if too dry.
3. Warm tortillas on a dry comal or skillet until pliable, about 20–30 seconds per side.
4. Fill each tortilla with 2–3 tbsp of either filling. Fold in half. Arrange the folded tacos tightly upright in a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven, alternating fillings. Pour 2 tbsp of melted lard or oil over the top of the tacos; this will trickle down, basting them as they steam.
5. Place a folded cloth or parchment paper over the tacos, put the lid on tightly, and steam on the lowest possible heat 20–30 minutes. The tacos will soften and the exteriors will become lightly glazed.
6. Serve directly from the pot with salsa verde, pickled jalapeños, cabbage and lime.

Cook's Notes: The beauty of tacos de canasta is in the steaming — it transforms ordinary tortillas and simple fillings into something greater than the sum of their parts. The lard glaze is key. Traditionally they are wrapped in cloth and carried in a large wicker basket, staying warm for hours. They are best eaten within 2 hours of steaming.