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Taste the Sunshine. Barbecue Season is Upon Us.
Finally.
A day nice enough to fire up the coals and grill some food.
It’s been a long haul for us New Brunswickers. Record snowfalls, record flooding and what seemed like a constant 60 km/h wind for five months kept most grills under cover. I’ve been known to light some charcoal in December and January in freezing temperatures but this past winter, I just didn’t have it in me.
But today, the temperature hit a balmy 7 Celsius, made even more balmy because of a very light breeze and there was not a cloud in the sky.
So it was time. We were due.
I grabbed a large chicken at Cochrane’s Market and promptly got home to hack it up and get it in some great flavours to marinate while I started the coals. I had made some corn tortillas in the morning as we were thinking perhaps beef tacos for supper, but instead, we’d go with grilled chicken.
Grilled! Just saying the word puts a smile on my face. Here’s how to slap this one together:
Grilled Chicken Tacos
2 large boneless chicken breasts, skin on
The marinade:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon ancho powder (optional)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Good pinch of dried oregano
Good pinch each of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Juice of a lime
For the tacos:
Corn or flour tortillas as needed, kept warm in the oven
Your favourite taco toppings (diced tomato, diced onion, salsa, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, pickled hot pepper, hot sauce, etc.)
Cut slits in the top of the chicken breast so that the marinade will penetrate better. Mix all ingredients together in a pie plate or other vessel that will hold the chicken. Place the chicken in the marinade and use your hands to really massage it into the marinade, making sure it gets in the slits and is fully covered in the flavours. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes and you’re ready to grill. Grill until well browned on both sides, watching it carefully as it’ll burn easily. Remove to indirect heat, close the top and let it bake in the barbecue for another 13-15 minutes until it’s fully cooked (firm to the touch). The time may be more or less depending on the size of your voluptuous breasts. Place the chicken on a plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. When everybody is at the table and screaming at you to hurry up already because it smells freakin’ awesome, slice the chicken thinly and serve with the tortillas and toppings.
The finished grilled chicken taco.
Thanks man, I appreciate it. Flour is more expensive here but not prohibitively so. A flatbread maker is me.
-Joe
Joe, yes I do, at least 50 per cent of the time anyway. I make simple flour tortillas sometimes or even simpler is the Masa instant mix ones which are quite authentic and easy to make. Not sure if you can get Masa mix where you’re at though. Do you have a Mexican grocer anywhere there?
Another flatbread I love to make is chapati, an East Indian flatbread made with durum atta flour (which can be found at the Superstore here in 22 lb bags). Just follow this guy’s instructions for them:
http://youtu.be/HvQ7M9ibS_8
Roomali roti is great too:
http://youtu.be/GlScpHCP8sI
Do you happen to make your own tortillas too?
Also, I’m in Japan and most people do not own an oven at all (I cannot imagine why). Do you happen to have any kind of flatbread recipe that you’d recommend that could be done in a frying pan (at least I have a gas stove)?