Let's talk taco
by Anna King Shahab
Tacoteca, a taqueria in City Works Depot, was opened by chef Jean Brito, restaurateur Mundo Farrera and their respective partners Hannah Port and Anna Farrera in 2023. When I posted a rave about my first proper visit to sample a good deal of the menu, commentary that followed was generally enthusiastic and positive especially from those who had actually visited themselves, but there were a few voices posturing that the tacos ‘would never be the same as what we had in Mexico’ or ‘as authentic as the ones at [insert so-and-so place]’.
It made me ponder why certain cuisines and more so certain key dishes within certain cuisines seem to get some people aaaaall het up about ‘authenticity’ and what version is ‘correct’. Take as examples Vietnamese cuisine and its pho and banh mi. Malaysia’s char kuey teow. China’s roast duck and xiaolongbao. Levantine hummus. And perhaps the dish that gets more frequently assessed for perceived authenticity, tacos.
Let’s remember that even pizza Napoletana, a dish literally confined to parameters by a regulating body, will still vary from one pizzeria to the next according to all manner of factors including the training and palate of the chef, the exact ingredients used, the way in which they were produced and the season, the environment of the kitchen. And then there’s the myriad variables in the environment and headspace of the person consuming the pizza. Who is to judge authenticity when it comes to food? Unless the point of a dish is to merely replicate exactly a version that came before it, the concept seems sort of redundant.
However, there are versions of any dish that stand out. And that’s what we’re all here for, right? I sat down with Jean and Mundo to find out what they reckon makes a great taco – what does a superior taco eating experience look and taste like?
Al pastor
Loosely meaning ‘shepherd-style taco’, taco al pastor is a perennially popular option of marinated pork grilled on the spit, and is thought to have origins tracing back to the shawarma technique Lebanese brought with them to Mexico in the early 20th century – the lamb was swapped for the more readily available and favoured pork.
Jean says his version at Tacoteca is made by marinating pork loin for 24 hours in a mix of smoky chiles like guajillo, pasilla and ancho, and Mayan achiote (annatto seed paste). “We serve it the traditional way, the grilled pork accompanied by charred pineapple which adds a caramelised layer of flavour, set against our favourite green tomatillo salsa”.
Definitely one to down in a few quick bites, getting those juices to where they belong… in your mouth!
The tortilla
Jean and Mundo grew up in different parts of Mexico, but for both of them, strong memories of their grandmothers' cooking and food ethos are the primary focus behind what is served at Tacoteca.
As Jean puts it, “You cannot have a good taco without a good tortilla”. After listening to these guys talk tortilla, I actually don’t even know if it’s possible to truly grasp the importance of the tortilla and its nuances unless you’ve either grown up or spent a whole lot of time in Mexico or other Latin countries where masa harina (cornmeal) is a staple. Much like the French might talk about the aroma of baking baguettes wafting from boulangeries, and the way we might talk about the smell of chemical-laden white tank loaves filtering out through the plastic-strap curtains of suburban Home Cookeries (to be fair, it’s 2024 so maybe we could replace that analogy with the tang of heated single-origin coffee beans seeping from upmarket roasteries), these Mexican compatriots say that for them, the taco experience begins with the aroma of a fresh tortilla triggering memories – of home, familiarity, family, warmth, nourishment.
If, while enjoying a taco, non-masa-people can picture the tortilla as not just a commodity but also a way of life, we might open our receptors including our palate to greater appreciation. Tacoteca is one of just a few places that makes its tortillas from scratch, and they are made onsite every day; they are fresh, with no preservatives.
A party in your mouth
“Salt, fat, acid and heat – for me the taco needs these four things to be considered perfect”, says Jean. “If elements aren’t in the filling itself, they can be added – lime or salt or hot sauce on the side – but ultimately you need all those things present when you bite into it.
"The heat aspect isn’t necessarily chilli, it might be spice. You want a party in your mouth, that’s what you’re hoping for. For me as a chef it’s also important to play with the order of flavours hitting your palate – for example depending on what the filling is you might want the heat first, then the acid later. You want to create a rollercoaster of flavours, that’s the ideal taco.
"Having some kind of crunch is important. It adds interest and I think human nature dictates that we crave interest, we don’t want plain, bland things. A bit of crunch adds to that party in the mouth."
Memory at play
A good taco pays homage – to a place and to people. Whether it’s the “almost orchestrated” cochinita pibil Mundo vividly remembers tasting when on holiday on the Caribbean coast as a child – “All these spices go into it, hand-ground, and the amount of juices is exactly right for the type of tortilla it’s in.” Or a straightforward flank steak taco enjoyed in Puebla – “Just grilled steak with salsa and that’s it”, says Mundo, while Jean adds that in his opinion nice fatty Aotearoa beef makes that particular filling more delicious than it would be in Mexico, where leanness is seen as a prized quality in beef.
Jean and Mundo grew up in different parts of Mexico, but for both of them, strong memories of their grandmothers' cooking and food ethos are the primary focus behind what is served at Tacoteca.
Don’t lose the juice
The juices in the taco are a key element in the eating experience, says Mundo. That perfect cochinita pibil he remembers on the Caribbean hinged on the juice factor – you want to pick up that taco and keep it steady as you wrap your mouth around it and savour it in a few bites – tip it upwards and it’s goodbye juices and a lesser experience overall.
A great drink to go with it
Margaritas were made to marry with the typical flavour profiles of a good taco – bright citrus, mellow sweetness, and the herbaceous and earthy notes from agave spirit (and a smokiness if you opt for mezcal).
The lime juice for Tacoteca’s impressive list of margaritas comes from an orchard in Te Hēnga in glass bottles that are sanitised and refilled over and over. Fresh and unpasteurised lime juice gives these margaritas the punch your palate craves – so much more satiating than an insipid concentrated juice version.
“I’m not going to lie”, says Mundo, “I did try out a range of more affordable spirits when developing the menu to see if they’d work – and they were okay. But okay doesn’t cut it; the extra couple of dollars we could make from each drink by using a cheaper product isn’t worth it. Jean wants diners to have absolute joy with each bite of his tacos; I want people to have absolute bliss and to forget all their problems with each sip of a margarita – to put them in the moment and in the presence of the people they are with.”
Tacoteca | City Works Depot | 1/90 Wellesley Street West, Auckland CBD | Monday to Saturday 11.30am – 9pm
In Partnership with Freedom Farms
Lazy Susan is proud to work with Freedom Farms as sponsors of our summer content series. Freedom Farms pork comes from independently audited farms in Aotearoa New Zealand. No exceptions. Freedom Farms is committed to supporting farming that is kinder for farm animals, taking it easy on the environment, and figuring out how to grow a better food future.
