Griddled Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients
1 head garlic (about 12 cloves) separated and unpeeled
2 medium red onions 1 quartered and unpeeled, 1 cut into 1-inch rings
4 medium tomatoes
8 chipotles (rehydrate in hot water till softened)
kosher salt
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 medium limes cut into wedges
3 tablespoons canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil plus more for the onions
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
8 to 10 large flour or whole wheat tortillas
1 cup refried beans
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese
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Instructions
For the salsa: Place a large dry (unoiled) cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the garlic, the quartered onion, and tomatoes (in their peels and skins). Char the vegetables, turning occasionally with tongs, until they’re dark brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside to let vegetables cool slightly then peel. Meanwhile, cut off the stems of the cilantro leaves and discard. Measure out 1 cup of the cilantro leaves and save the rest for garnish.
Combine vegetable with 8 of the chipotles, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 cup of the cilantro leaves, and a pinch of salt in a blender or food processor. Process until finely pureed; taste and add more chipotles, salt, or lime juice, as desired.
TIP
This salsa is pretty hot so, if you’d like it a little more mellow, go ahead and use fewer chipotles. The salsa can be made up to 4 days in advance. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
For the chicken: Season the chicken all over with another big pinch of the salt then place the chicken in a large bowl and pour 2 cups of the salsa over the top. Turn to coat chicken well then cover. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
When the chicken is ready to be grilled, remove it from the marinade, discard excess marinade, and let chicken come to room temperature while the grill heats, at least 5 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a gas grill or large grill pan to medium or light a charcoal fire and let burn until the coals are covered with gray ash.
When the grill is heated, brush onions lightly with oil, and grill, turning them regularly, until charred and tender, about 5 minutes total. Remove onions to a cutting board and cut into a medium dice; season with some salt then set aside.
TIP
The onions can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife but still juicy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board, sprinkle with a bit more salt then slice crosswise into 1/2-inch strips.
TIP
The chicken can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
For the tacos: To assemble, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the refried beans over half of each flour tortilla then layer with a spoonful of the cheese, some of the grilled onions, and about 1/8 of the chicken meat. Fold in half to close then cook in a dry cast iron pan over medium heat until cheese is melted and tortillas are toasted, about 8 minutes. Fill tacos with wedges of avocado and some cilantro leaves and pass extra salsa and lime wedges on the side.
From saltandwind.com