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Chef Luis Flores
Uno Dos Tacos, San Francisco
This recipe originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of el Restaurante magazine.
Luis Flores was just 12 years old when he arrived in the U.S. from Guadalajara in 1989. He didn’t know it then, but he was destined for a career in the kitchen—one that began when he took his first job at a Wendy’s at age 15.
Soon after, he moved on to a Mexican restaurant in Oakland, California, where he wore many hats— busser, bar back, server, trainer and kitchen manager—before moving on to help Adriano Paganini, an Italian chef who was expanding his business. “He had about 47 units and I opened 20 of them,” Flores recalls.
And then came the opportunity he’d been waiting for.
“He approached me and said he wanted to sell [his restaurants] and do something else. He said, ‘I want to open a Mexican restaurant with you.’”
After asking his potential business partner what he really knew about Mexican food, Flores decided to teach him. The two packed their bags for a trip to Guadalajara, where they sampled tacos and tortas from street vendors. “Those are the most traditional things that we do,” Flores says. “There were amazing fish and shrimp tacos!”
A visit to a tequileria, where they tasted chiles rellenos, carne asada, red rice and beans rounded out the culinary excursion.
“In Mexico, families pass down recipes from generation to generation. I wanted to do what my mom always did—cook with a sense of food and passion. That was my dream—and he wanted to do it with me.”
It didn’t happen right away. It’s a rather long and winding story; the short version is this: Flores and Paganini opened Uno Dos Tacos Taqueria, a pop-up that ran for 6 months, then debuted Uno Dos Tacos—a full-fledged modern Mexican taqueria that specializes in traditional tacos made with corn tortillas hand-crafted every morning using fresh masa dough. Each cooked-to-order taco is paired with a specific salsa for the best flavor, just as Flores’ mother taught him, and her mother taught her. It is, says Flores, a culmination of Old World recipes from Flores’ family with a touch of new world style.
Two and a half years ago, the partners debuted Flores, a Bay area Mexican restaurant, serving a bit more upscale Mexican cuisine.
Among the chef’s favorites? The answer might be a bit surprising!
“Lengua tacos,” Flores says. “Others are afraid to do it—but I took a chance. Every taqueria in Guadalajara had lengua tacos, and lengua is one of the best meats. It is so delicious if you cook it right.” That means cooking it with garlic, onion, bay leaves and salt and not under-cooking it. “It gets chewy when you under-cook it,” he says.
The Lengua Taco has become one of Uno Dos Tacos’ signature tacos. “People love it!” says Flores, who shares his recipe with el Restaurante.
Lengua Tacos
Makes 22 to 24 tacos
The Lengua:
5 lbs. lengua
5 bay leaves
1 yellow onion, peeled
10 garlic cloves
3 T. salt
8 qts. water
In a big pot, add water, bay leaves, peeled yellow onions, garlic and salt. Warm the pot to medium heat. Rinse the lengua and make sure to use a sharp knife to make pockets in the lengua all around, then put the lengua in the pot. Let the meat cook for about 5 to 6 hours, checking it every 30 minutes to add water if necessary.
After the lengua has cooked for more than 5 hours, check to see if the skin comes off easily. If it does, the lengua is ready; if no, let it cook for another hour. Completely remove skin and fat and chop in small pieces.
The Tacos:
Corn tortillas
Tomatillo salsa
Chopped onions
Cilantro
Lime
The Tomatillo Salsa:
3 lbs. tomatillos
1 yellow onion
12 garlic cloves
2 T. chicken bouillon
5 serrano chiles
5 cilantro leaves
5 qts. water
Rinse all ingredients.
In medium-size pot, add all ingredients except for chicken bouillon and cilantro and let cook for about 10 minutes; drain.
Blend all the ingredients and add cilantro and bouillon.
To make the tacos: Prepare the tortillas, top with lengua and salsa, garnish with chopped onions, cilantro and lime.
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