Tacos and enchiladas were a constant rotation in our family meals as I was growing up. Mom always used corn tortillas for both. When making the tacos she'd use corn tortillas and deep fry them herself. She'd pour a butt load of oil in a pan, turn it on, and we'd sit and watch until the oil was hot enough. Then we'd (well once I was old enough) put in the tortilla, flip it over and hold it with tongs as it fried.
As food advanced, and science, we learned, not too surprisingly, that doing that wasn't exactly healthy. Flour tortillas became all the rage, as did low cal, low carb tortillas. And frying? Forgetaboutit.
Still the memory of that texture and flavor haunted me.
Pioneer Woman took it one step further. Her Brother's tacos, not only incorporated the frying that I so loved, but by putting the chicken inside the taco shell and THEN frying it...OMG....it was heaven.
I made these tacos for Cinco de Mayo for some friends. While frying them was a challenge, and trying not to burn me, and my trusty side kick was interesting, the end result was well worth it.
Once you finish frying, you drain the oil from the tacos, and then pop in the cheese immediately. The cheese melts and OMG it's so good.
I HIGHLY recommend making these. They are time consuming and messy and probably not healthy but for a little treat I say make them.
You can find the recipe here. I've also put it below too.
Pioneer Woman's Brother's Tacos
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
16 whole corn tortillas (small Size)
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
Salt, cumin, chili powder to taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
2 T canola oil
2 cans (4 Ounce) diced green chilies
1-1/2 c finely grated cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
Sour cream
Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
2 c thinly sliced romaine lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
4 whole roma tomatoes, diced
Canola oil, for frying tacos
*Be careful frying with hot oil!*
Season diced chicken liberally. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Dump in the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until chicken is totally done inside. Turn off heat and set aside.
Have all other ingredients---grated cheese, sliced lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce---ready.
Also have a plate ready, as well as a stack of five or six paper towels to hold in your hand.
TO FRY
To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place some chicken in the middle of a tortilla, then fold tortilla in half. Clamp the tortilla shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs, then carefully lay the taco---one side down---in the oil. As you lay it in the oil, use the tongs to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. Once it stays put, repeat with two other tacos. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)
One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.
As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve---the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.
To serve, garnish in this order: a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomato. You'll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.
Tacos will be hot for a minute or two after frying, so don't rush into eating! They'll stay nice and warm for a little while after frying.
