BEST HARD SHELL TACOS RECIPES

Steps:

• Start by rinsing and stemming 7-8 plum tomatoes.  Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.
• For the chicken, add the seasoning ingredients to a bowl:  2 tablespoons crushed New Mexican chile (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a dollop of oil.  Chop up two chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and combine well with the seasoning.
• For the rice, start by adding a dollop of oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 cup of rice and saute until the rice is turning opaque and golden brown.   Meanwhile, add 1-2 of the roasted tomatoes to a blender along with 1/2 onion and a single garlic clove.  Combine well and add this puree to the rice, cooking for a few minutes.  Add 2 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Set aside and cover, letting it sit its own steam for a few minutes.  Salt to taste.  (Note:  it's okay to pull the roasting tomatoes from the oven a bit early when you need them for the rice.)
• When the tomatoes are done roasting add six of them to a blender for the Salsa along with 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno, and a pinch of salt (optional).  Pulse blend, leaving it a bit chunky.  Taste for seasoning and for heat level.  You can always add more jalapeno if you want a more fiery Salsa.
• To cook the chicken, I usually saute 3-4 tablespoons of chopped onion in some oil until tender (over medium-high heat) and then add the seasoned chicken.  Form a single layer as much as possible and let the first side cook through all the way, then flipping and briefly cooking the second side.  When done, add the chicken to a bowl and cover with foil until serving. 
• For the guacamole, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3-4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion, and the juice of 1 lime to a bowl.  Combine with the flesh of two ripe avocados.  Taste for seasoning.  I added another pinch of salt and another squeeze of lime to this batch.  (I usually crush the chopped onion with the back of fork to mimic a molcajete and release some additional oils.)
• I recommend half-assembling the tacos for your family and friends, i.e. crisping them up on a comal or skillet before serving.  First, put the chicken, guacamole, and salsa on the table in serving bowls.  Then add 4-5 corn tortillas to the comal or skillet over mediumish heat (or as many as you can fit).  Add a layer of refried beans, cheese, and rice to each tortilla.  Cook until the cheese is melted or the bottom of the tortilla is turning golden brown, approx. 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately and let your peeps add the chicken, guacamole, and salsa themselves.

Steps:

• Start by rinsing and stemming 7-8 plum tomatoes.  Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.
• For the chicken, add the seasoning ingredients to a bowl:  2 tablespoons crushed New Mexican chile (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a dollop of oil.  Chop up two chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and combine well with the seasoning.
• For the rice, start by adding a dollop of oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 cup of rice and saute until the rice is turning opaque and golden brown.   Meanwhile, add 1-2 of the roasted tomatoes to a blender along with 1/2 onion and a single garlic clove.  Combine well and add this puree to the rice, cooking for a few minutes.  Add 2 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Set aside and cover, letting it sit its own steam for a few minutes.  Salt to taste.  (Note:  it's okay to pull the roasting tomatoes from the oven a bit early when you need them for the rice.)
• When the tomatoes are done roasting add six of them to a blender for the Salsa along with 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 jalapeno, and a pinch of salt (optional).  Pulse blend, leaving it a bit chunky.  Taste for seasoning and for heat level.  You can always add more jalapeno if you want a more fiery Salsa.
• To cook the chicken, I usually saute 3-4 tablespoons of chopped onion in some oil until tender (over medium-high heat) and then add the seasoned chicken.  Form a single layer as much as possible and let the first side cook through all the way, then flipping and briefly cooking the second side.  When done, add the chicken to a bowl and cover with foil until serving. 
• For the guacamole, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3-4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion, and the juice of 1 lime to a bowl.  Combine with the flesh of two ripe avocados.  Taste for seasoning.  I added another pinch of salt and another squeeze of lime to this batch.  (I usually crush the chopped onion with the back of fork to mimic a molcajete and release some additional oils.)
• I recommend half-assembling the tacos for your family and friends, i.e. crisping them up on a comal or skillet before serving.  First, put the chicken, guacamole, and salsa on the table in serving bowls.  Then add 4-5 corn tortillas to the comal or skillet over mediumish heat (or as many as you can fit).  Add a layer of refried beans, cheese, and rice to each tortilla.  Cook until the cheese is melted or the bottom of the tortilla is turning golden brown, approx. 1-2 minutes.  Serve immediately and let your peeps add the chicken, guacamole, and salsa themselves.