Tortillas are camping staples where I come from. They pack well, can put up with a ton of abuse (can’t be smashed, basically), don’t need to be kept cold, and can serve as a delivery vehicle for all kinds of food. Salami? Check. PB and J? Absolutely. Cheese? You got it. Even plain, they can be plenty tasty. I’ve even taken fresh tortillas and smothered them with butter and a little chili powder and rolled them up for a kind of trail tacos, stuffing a few into my backpack for lunch streamside.
But this taco recipe is way, way better. This recipe calls for vegetarian chorizo, but fresh pork chorizo is also a great call if you have the capacity to deal with meat clean up in the backcountry. Toppings, veggies, anything you want to add work here, the chorizo, and good tortillas, are the star. This recipe uses only 9 ingredients all of which weigh just over 2 pounds combined, so it’s a lightweight meal that’s also filling.
Recipe courtesy Montyboca
Ingredients
Tortillas, flour or corn (8)
Field Roast (or your choice of brand) Chorizo, 13 oz
Red bell pepper
Green onion, 1 bunch
Oil, 2 tbsp
Chili, 2 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Lime
Cheese
*any veggies work here: zucchini, broccoli, carrots–anything you like
Directions
Chop chorizo, onion, pepper, lime
Turn on burner, medium heat
Add oil, chorizo, pepper, onion, salt, chili powder
Cook, 3-5 minutes, reserve
Toast tortillas in clean, dry pan
Add chorizo, veggie mixture to tortillas
Top with cheese, garnish with lime wedge
how about making your own chorizo? the following is a tried and true recipie. the amounts are approximate. you can vary the measurements according to your own tastes and tolerance for “chile heat”:
10 pounds of ground chicken, beef, pork, elk, venison, etc
2- 14 oz container of frozen new mexico red chile, hot or mild
1- cup of Mexican oregano, pulverized
8- cloves of fresh garlic, mashed & pieces
2- 12 oz bottles of RED WINE vinegar*
3- tablespoons of salt
2+ packets of dried red chile (to dry the liquid from the vinegar, and add more
redness and flavor to the mix)
in a bowl mix all the above ingredients, squishing with your hands. sample a small patty of the chorizo and this will tell you what it may need more of. or if still too liquidy, add more dried red chile. if satisfied with the flavor and consistency, let your chorizo “marinate” in the refrigerator a day or two. package in freezer paper. I find the chorizo has up to 6 months freezer time.
* red wine vinegar is by far the “clincher” for good chorizo flavor!
the dried red chile is also a means to add more “heat” to your chorizo
Thanks Tom – never even thought about making my own.
Nice Tom – Thanks for the recipe.