This Is How You Taco

We’ve had an awesome run of Mexican food lately. We even returned to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to get some of our favorite tacos from our trip. All this good food has made us wonder: Why do some places serve terrible tacos when great ones are so simple? In the spirit of giving, we’ve prepared this guide.

Rule #1: Use two tortillas.

With two tortillas, your chances of blowing out the bottom are almost nil. If you make your own extra-thick tortillas, you can ignore this rule, but  making your own is not always a sign of quality. In Vermont, we had pretty terrible homemade tortillas. Most times it’s just better to just buy some good ones and double them up.

Rule #2: No flour tortillas.

No flour tortillas, ever. Never. Corn tortillas taste better, don’t contain trans fat, and are more authentico. Stick with corn. Flour shouldn’t even be an option.

Rule #3: Limit the toppings. 

The best taquerias serve their tacos with cilantro and onion. That’s it. You add your own salsa or hot sauce and squeeze your own lime. Lettuce, tomato, sour cream? Where are we, Taco Bell?

Rule #4: Skip the artistry.

Chorizo + onion + cilantro + hot sauce > duck confit + seasonal slaw + heirloom tomato salsa + micro greens. Always.

Rule #5: Price them cheap.

Tacos should be cheap. If you want to sell a taco for more than $3, it had better be damn good. Bad news: it’s never going to be damn good enough. You’re doing something wrong, so go back to step #1.