Feliz Cinco de Mayo: Here’s how to make tacos that don’t suck

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s Cinco de Mayo!

As you may know, the holiday celebrates the Mexican victory against the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Many celebrate in different ways, but one way that’s pretty universal is by indulging in fantastic Mexican food!

But times are tough and a lot of families might not have the cash to go out and get some tacos at one of Central Florida’s fantastic Mexican restaurants. If that’s you, don’t worry! Here are some of my tips on how to make the best tacos for this Cinco de Mayo.

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It all starts with a good base

The first step to a great taco is a great base.

While some use store bought crunchy shells, there’s nothing like a good flour tortilla. Of course, once you make these torts, you can put any filling in them. But my mom’s recipe is good—so good you can eat them by themselves.

What you’ll need:

• 4 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

1. Mix together all of your dry ingredients.
2. Add your vegetable shortening and mix. It’s going to look a little clumpy, but that’s OK.
3. Add hot water, this will help the dough become a dough. Knead until well blended.
4. Form your dough into small balls and then roll them out until they’re your desired size. Now they might not all turn out round, but they don’t have to be. Sometimes, it’s fun to see what shape they turn out to be.
5. Bake on a pan at a medium heat. When they start bubbling, flip them. Once they’re cooked take them off the heat.
6. Enjoy!

And it’s not just for dinner

So I came to Orlando from San Antonio, Texas, and if there’s anything you need to know about the great people of the state of Texas, it’s that tacos are a dish for every meal.

And there’s no better way to start your day than with a breakfast taco.

In my family, we eat breakfast tacos a lot, and this is our go-to recipe. And like most of my recipes, this feeds a lot of people.

What you’ll need:

• 1 pound chorizo
• 4 or 5 large eggs
• Cheese of your choice
• Tortillas

Directions:

1. Cook your chorizo over medium heat. You can season it if you want to, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Chorizo comes pre-seasoned and adding too much could overdo it.
2. While your chorizo is cooking, crack your eggs and put them into a large bowl. Season and scramble as you normally would with scrambled eggs.
3. Add your eggs to the same pan with the chorizo and fold regularly.
4. Once the eggs are cooked and everything is combined, turn off your heat and begin assembling. Put the chorizo and eggs in a tortilla and top with cheese.
5. Enjoy!

I hope these recipes make your day brighter!

If you’re interested in more recipes, be sure to check out the Florida Foodie newsletter. Tom sends out a new recipe every week.