Chicken Tinga Street Tacos

A statistical demographic breakthrough arises this month—Hispanics outnumber the Caucasian plurality in California. Enjoying authentic Hispanic cooking becomes a good reason to commemorate. These delectable, authentic tacos, which are also easy and inexpensive to prepare, are sold at street food stands in Mexico City.

Ingredients:

¼ cup (plus 2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil

2 ½ pounds trimmed, skinless, bone-in chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, with liquid

2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, coarsely chopped

1 cup chicken broth

Corn tortillas, as many as desired

2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled

Sliced scallions, chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add it to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, for about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add onion. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant for two minutes.

Add canned tomatoes, chipotle peppers and broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Let sauce cool then transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Bake the chicken in an uncovered pan in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes. The meat should be tender, sauce thickened.

Warm corn tortillas in the oven or over a stove.

Remove the chicken from the pan and shred the meat. Discard the bones. Return the chicken meat to the sauce and combine. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of chicken onto each tortilla and sprinkle the Cotija cheese. Garnish tacos with the scallions and chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from:

http://thetastyfork.com/2013/05/02/chicken-tinga-tacos-mexican-street-food-at-home/

Elizabeth DeCicco can be reached at [email protected]