Octopus Tacos with Bacon

Octopus Tacos with Bacon

Octopus Tacos with Bacon
Tacos de Pulpo con Tocino

Tacos are great. Octopus tacos are amazing. Octopus tacos with bacon are over-the-top!

Braised octopus’ mild flavor is enhanced by bright lime juice and roasted tomato salsa. Its lean, chewy, tender texture is balanced by crispy, salty, smoky bacon. When paired with crunchy purple cabbage, spicy red jalapeño, herbaceous cilantro, and pungent onion all nestled in charred corn tortillas we end up with some extraordinarily tantalizing tacos. Ones that are bursting with a wild range of flavors, colors, and textures.

Octopus Tacos with Bacon Recipe

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Tamal de Cazuela

Tamal de Cazuela

Tamal de Cazuela

Don’t make it because it’s easier, make it because it’s great! Tamal de cazuela is a “tamale casserole” with all the fabulous flavors of our favorite Mexican tamales baked in a cast iron dish.

Labor-intensive traditional tamales are steamed individually in corn husks or banana leaves, resulting in a fluffy masa. Here, the masa is simply spread in a pan, filled with a meaty mixture, capped with more masa, then baked. It has a denser texture more like a sope, the process makes a terrific pie crust.

I often use leftover meat for my tamales. Have you tried my Hanukkah Tamales made from frozen brisket? This pie is made with my leftover braised short ribs (recipe here). For the filling, you can use any shredded meat (beef, pork, chicken) or even vegetables and beans to make a delicioso tamal de cazuela!

Tamal de CazuelaOnce the tamal de cazuela is baked, let it cool slightly then slice into wedges. Serve the pie slices on plates and let guests garnish with lots of toppings of their choice:

  • salsa roja
  • salsa verde
  • shredded cabbage
  • cotija cheese
  • sliced jalapeños
  • lime wedges
  • cilantro
  • crema Mexicana
  • guacamole
Tamal de Cazuela Recipe

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