Costa Rican Tacos Recipes

Steps:

• Brown the roast in a roasting pan using the 2 tbls. of oil. When browned, sprinkle liberally with the abodo seasoning. Use more if you really like your meat flavorful.
• Cook roast in low oven until it's falling apart. Usually about 2 hours.
• While roast is cooking, shred cabbage and put in bowl. Squeeze lemons over cabbage and add salt. Cover with cling film and put in fridge. The lemon and salt with wilt the cabbage slightly, which is exactly what you want. Add more salt to taste, just before serving.
• Now cut up the tomatoes and add the mayonnaise to the tomatoes. As you mix the mayo in, the juice from the tomatoes will begin to make a pink sauce in the bowl. You want it to be the consistency of a thin sour cream. Add more mayo or tomatoes as needed. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.
• When roast is done, let it cool and then shredd beef. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare deep pot of oil for deep frying. Add desired amount of meat to the bottom of a tortilla, fold in half like a taco and submerge in hot oil, using tongs to hold taco together as it fries. Fry each taco until crisp, about 15 seconds. Drain well by tipping to side and letting extra oil drip out onto paper towels. Set tacos aside until all are done frying.
• To serve, slightly open mouth of taco and add tomato/mayo sauce first and then top with cabbage.
• This recipe is supposed to feed 4 people, but most people end up eating more than you think is humanly possible, so be prepared to make extra.

Steps:

• Peel plantains completely.
• Slice Plantains into 1/2 inch rounds.
• Heat oil in sauce pan until almost boiling.
• CAREFULLY place a handful of plantain rounds into hot oil, leaving them in until light brown, about 2 minutes.
• CAREFULLY remove plantain rounds from hot oil with slotted spoon (preferably metal) and place on a cutting board covered in parchment paper.
• Plantain pieces should be on only half of the parchment paper. Fold second half of parchment paper over them, and with a second board or other hard, flat surface press firmly on the paper-covered plantain rounds.
• The rounds should now be smushed-looking, yet still intact.
• *This can also be done using a metal tortilla press, if available. What I use is like a tortilla press, but is specifically designed for patacones, and I bought it at a supermarket in Costa Rica.
• With slotted spoon, replace pieces of plantain in the oil until golden brown.
• Remove pieces with slotted spoon and place on paper towel. Pieces should be slightly crispy.
• Repeat with another handful of rounds, until all have been cooked.
• Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
• Dip in warm refried beans, or also good with ceviche.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until thickened., Spoon beef mixture into taco shells. Serve with toppings of your choice.