More Gourmet Dining: Taco Tuesday

Chef Yann and his team present a new theme night at Flor de Canela restaurant, Taco Tuesday. The taco, Mexico’s most famous finger food, takes center stage and who could believe that a freshly made tortilla with tasty fillings, salsa and guacamole could be so delicious?

Satisfy your craving for tacos. Choose from a spread of traditional fillings, help yourself to tortillas and salsas and make your own tacos. The Taco Tuesday buffet ranges from classics such as grilled arrachera or skirt steak, shrimp and fish to marinated pork al pastor, stewed pork rind and golden-fried chicken flautas or crispy tacos. The selection of guisados or dishes that are popular taco fillings also includes poblano chili pepper slices cooked in cream, picadillo or minced beef, chorizo with potato, slow-cooked beef barbacoa-style, mushrooms and ajillo-style spicy octopus.

Pile your plate with grilled spring onions, guacamole and refried beans and try some nopales or tender cooked cactus pads, they are delicious and very nutritious. Mexican-style rice, tortilla soup and charro-style stewed beans are also served as part of the buffet.

When you are ready to add the final touch to your tacos head for the classic accompaniments. Sprinkle chopped onion, radish and cilantro on simple beef tacos; fresh pineapple goes perfectly with tacos al pastor and shredded cabbage is served with fish and shrimp tacos.

You’ll want to add lashings of salsa. The sauces range from pico de gallo, green sauce with avocado and stewed tomato salsa to mayonnaise with chipotle pepper or garlic for seafood tacos. Ask your waiter to point out the mild salsas and the spicier recipes that pack more of a chili punch.

For true chili fans, xnipec is the local salsa to try. Made from habanero chili, the Yucatan’s fiery pepper, finely chopped onion and lime juice, xnipec may bring tears to your eyes. Its name in Maya means the nose of the dog (xni = nose, pec = dog), presumably because it might give the diner a wet nose like that of a dog.

Making your tacos

There is an art to making tacos! Take a warm tortilla from the basket – Mexicans will tell you never to take the top tortilla – and place it on your plate. Put a small spoonful of the filling of your choice in the center such as grilled steak or chorizo, add guacamole, salsa and a dash of lime juice and you are ready to go. Roll the tortilla up like a pancake and you have a taco. True connoisseurs will tell you to hold the taco with your index finger and thumb (no knives and forks) and lean over the plate to avoid being splashed as the juice drips out. After a couple of attempts you’ll have got the hang of taco making and we are sure that you will want to sample as many as possible.

A selection of Mexican desserts is the perfect finale to your taco feast and of course you’ll want to order Mexican beer, wine or tequila to accompany your meal.

Ask your Concierge for more information about Taco Tuesday and the other tempting theme nights during the week.