Upon glancing at this title, I wouldn’t blame you if you just kept on going. I mean, a greens taco will only appeal to a handful, while sounding unfathomable to others. Though I’ve always been partial to greens, it wasn’t until I was living in Mexico in the ‘80s that I spent time in Toluca. There, at the enormous Friday market, a handful of street vendors make satisfyingly thick, sweet-smelling fresh-masa tortillas and top them with local greens (my favorite are quelites de ceniza (lambs quarters) or quintoniles (amaranth greens) cooked with caramelized onion. Then they offer the robust tang of a spicy árbol salsa and a handful of crumbled fresh cheese the area is known for. There is no way I could capture in words the full-body experience of biting into one of those unexpectedly satisfying Tolucan tacos. This recipe gets you reasonably close.
INGREDIENTS
- One 12-ounce bunch of Swiss chard (or collard, mustard or beet greens), thick lower stems cut off --OR-- 10 ounces of cleaned spinach, or the leaves of lamb’s quarters or amaranth greens (about 6 loosely packed cups)
- 2 tablespoons fresh-rendered pork lard (or bacon drippings), vegetable oil or olive oil
- 2 medium white or red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
- Salt
- 12 warm corn tortillas
- About 3/4 cup Bold Árbol Chile Salsa (recipe linked above) or other red chile salsa
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the chard (or other bunched greens) crosswise in ½-inch slices; small spinach, lamb’s quarters and amaranth leaves can be left whole. Rinse the greens and spin dry. In a very large (12-inch) skillet, heat the lard (or its stand-in) over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until browned but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir for a few seconds until aromatic, then add the broth or water (½ cup for quick-cooking greens, ¾ cup for those that take longer), ½ teaspoon salt and the greens. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan (if you don’t have a lid, a cookie sheet works well) and cook until the greens are almost tender, anywhere from 2 minutes for tender spinach and amaranth greens to 7 or 8 minutes for lamb’s quarters or thick collard greens. Swiss chard needs about 5 minutes.
Uncover the pan, raise the temperature to medium-high and cook, stirring continually, until the mixture is nearly dry. Taste and season with additional salt if you think necessary.
Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and crumbled cheese for making soft tacos.
