An Idea for a Tailgate? Canasta Tacos - Bring a Pre-made Basket of Tacos

Tacos de Canasta (Basket Tacos for a Party)



The best way to make tacos for a crowd is to make tacos de canasta.



50 corn tortillas, portioned into groups of 10, each wrapped well in foil
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups), divided
3 medium cloves garlic
6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups canola, vegetable, or other neutral oil, divided
Kosher salt
Fillings as desired - all of the fillings need to be on the dry side: like refried beans, beef barbacoa, carnitas, chicken tinga or potatoes. You can use braised and other long-cooked meats, but just be sure to drain off all excess liquid.

Salsa verde or other salsas, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Set foil-wrapped tortillas in oven and allow to warm for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add half of sliced onion, all of garlic, and all of chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until blackened and charred in spots. Add 1 cup oil and fry over medium-high heat until garlic and onions are browned and softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add remaining 1 cup oil and a large pinch of salt, and blend to a smooth purée. Transfer chile oil to a small saucepan and keep hot, stirring occasionally so solids don't scorch.

Line basket with a cloth or blanket that's large enough for ample over-hanging fabric. Line cloth with a clean plastic bag. Line plastic with sheets of butcher paper.

Working in batches, remove a packet of tortillas from the oven. Quickly fill each tortilla with beans or barbacoa, fold it in half to seal the filling, and set the tacos in the lined basket. When 1 layer of tacos is complete, scatter with some of the remaining sliced onion and drizzle hot chile oil on top. Repeat with remaining tortillas, fillings, onion, and oil, until basket is full.

Fold butcher paper over tacos, then twist and seal plastic bag closed, pushing out any excess air. Finally fold overhanging cloth over tacos to create a tidy packed basket. Let stand for 1 hour, then open basket and serve tacos immediately, passing plenty of salsa on the side.

Special Equipment
Blender, basket or plastic container (approximately 9-by-13-by-6-inches), clean plastic garbage bag for lining basket, 1 or 2 large sheets butcher or deli paper (un-waxed) for lining basket

Notes
To fill the tacos, long-cooked braised or simmered dishes drained of excess moisture tend to do best. I'd suggest refried beans, beef barbacoa, carnitas, or chicken tinga. For the braised meats, place the cooked meat in a colander set above a bowl and press with the back of a ladle to drain excess sauce. The sauce can be reserved and served with the tacos on the side.

Serious Eats