Potato and Chorizo Tacos (Tacos de Papa con Chorizo)

History & Origin

Potato and chorizo tacos belong to that category of deeply satisfying Mexican food built from modest ingredients with precise technique. They are the perfect demonstration of how popular Mexican cookery transforms everyday produce into something extraordinary. The potato, brought from the South American Andes to Europe by the Spanish and reintroduced to Mexico during the colonial period, quickly became a fundamental ingredient of Mexican mestizo cuisine. Its soft texture and ability to absorb fats and flavours make it ideal for combining with Mexican chorizo - a spiced sausage with guajillo chilli, vinegar and oregano that is quite unlike Iberian chorizo. The secret of the filling lies in technique: the chorizo is broken down in the pan releasing its red, spiced fat, and in that same fat the pre-cooked potatoes are fried until golden and crispy outside. These tacos are sold in markets throughout central Mexico, particularly in the abastos markets of Mexico City and Puebla, where hot food stalls offer guisados like this from six in the morning.