Taco Bar: Mexican Rice & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Tacos seem like a simple food. A stack of tortillas, a little meat, a little onion, cilantro, a spoonful of salsa. Hit your local taqueria, order 2 or 3 and there’s lunch.  At home, tacos quickly spiral out of control. No taco plate is complete without rice and beans. And wouldn’t some escabeche, pickled carrots and jalapenos, be good alongside? And what about guacamole? You’ve gotta have guacamole.  Suddenly, your quick and dirty dinner has dirtied every pan in the house.

 

But what can you do? Summer, right about now, might just be the best time for a taco bar. Tomatillos and tomatoes are just coming in at our market, summer squash is plentiful. Chiles aren’t far behind. There was no question we’d wrap the July 4th holiday weekend with tacos – with two different approaches to pork tacos from the Homesick Texan Cookbook and the accompanying sides.

 

I’ve been on a mission to perfect Mexican rice.  For such a simple dish, it’s easy to muck up. The basic rules of pilaf apply, but if you want that orangey hue, you have to use both grated tomato and tomato sauce. There’s no way around it. I’ve cut corners and tried using Rotel, and it just isn’t the same. The flavor is good, but the resulting rice is anemic with tomato bits in it. Marcella Valladolid’s version is becoming a staple around here —  it works every time and delivers the rice you’re looking for, if you’ll just follow directions.  That last part is key, and is often where I fall down.

On the salsa, the roasted tomatillo is an old favorite from Sunset. I’ve vowed to can some this year, so we can enjoy it once tomatillos are gone for the year.

So what’s up with that squash? It’s so stupid easy, it’s not even a recipe.  Simply saute 2-3 green and yellow zucchini in a little olive oil with Mexican oregano, salt and pepper. It’s a summer default side dish.

Next time, we’ll talk about the main event.

 

RECIPE: Mexican Rice — Arroz Rojo

RECIPE: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

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