Ask five different taco chefs why the humble Mexican street snack is suddenly getting so much better and you’ll get five different answers. For Julian Medina of Manhattan’s Toloache, it’s due to a generation of Mexican-born chefs learning new culinary techniques abroad and then applying them to the flavors of their childhoods. Joel Fried, of Tacodeli, in Austin, cites sheer exhaustion with cheese-saturated Tex-Mex: “People had no idea what a rich cuisine Mexico has,” he says. Joe Hargrave, of San Francisco’s Tacolicious, points to the economic crash of 2008, when the already food-crazy nation began hungering for simpler pleasures. Whatever the reason, people across the country have raised their expectations of what a taco can be, and every major city now has at least one great chef combining first-rate ingredients with deep respect for Mexican tradition. And since no one’s trying to fancify them beyond recognition – tacos are tacos, after all – even today’s finest tortilla fillings remain well within the reach of the home cook. From classically simple stewed chicken to a modern take on sautéed shrimp, these five recipes work whether you’re cooking for one or hosting a big taco night beside the grill in the backyard. (All recipes make 12 tacos.)
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