Five years ago, when her son was still in high school, Alejandra Graf invited his soccer team to a taquiza, a kind of party she grew up with in Mexico City. She grabbed packs of Costco’s biggest, deepest chafing dishes and filled them with cochinita pibil, the succulent shredded pork that reached to the edges of the pans, like the other taco fillings, the steaming rice, and the beans. The trays were set up in Mrs. Graf’s home in Katy, Texas, surrounded by bowls of homemade salsas and warm tortillas.
Over 20 players destroyed all food. They were familiar with tacos, especially the Tex-Mex tacos in their hometown, but no one had ever experienced a taquiza, where everyone serves themselves, filling tortillas from a buffet of guisados, various stews such as chicken with salsa verde or mole. Ms Graf, who writes the blog Piloncillo y Vainilla, said: “Those kids remember that day. It was just great fun.”
Making sure a party is super fun should be the point, not just for the guests, but also for the host — especially at the end of summer and another long season. A range of tacos offers big flavors – savory, spicy, fresh – to a large crowd, while the host has time to spend with everyone. And it’s an ideal setup for guests to create their own meals while inviting them to share in the joy of hospitality.
Esteban Castillo, the author of “Chicano Eats” and the upcoming “Chicano Bakes,” spent his childhood Sundays with family in Southern California’s Carne Asadas. (“Carne asada” translates to roasted meat and refers to a dish of grilled steak, but is also a style of potluck with grilling in the middle.) They would throw carne asada on the grill along with Cornish venison chicken, chicken, chorizo and cebollitas, spring onions with white bulbs. On the tables were salsa molcajete, pico de gallo, guacamole, arroz rojo, frijoles charros and, of course, tortillas, which his aunts made by hand.
But beyond taquizas and carne asadas, there are as many ways to serve anything that goes in or with tacos as there are formulas for tacos. Here are some universal keys to success, according to Ms. Graf and Mr. Castillo.
Get everyone involved. The sense of community that comes with tacos starts long before you’re standing next to friends, talking and eating while salsa drips from your hands. Ask them to jump in even before they arrive. Mr. Castillo recommends hosts provide 75 percent of the food and ask others to bring chips, salsas, salads, fruit, beer, mixers for drinks, and desserts such as chocoflan.
For Ms. Graf, the shared experience comes in the form of “extra hands in the kitchen”. She often enlists her mother and husband and encourages hosts to pick a few relatives or friends to help replenish food.
Prepare as much in advance as possible. Part of what makes a taco-centered gathering so much fun is that when it comes time to eat, there’s almost nothing left to do. For a taquiza, guisados such as chicken tinga, lamb birria, and chili rojo with beef or nopales can be fully cooked days in advance. When they are reheated, they become even tastier. The same goes for beans, both whole beans in frijoles de la olla and mashed beans in a fried melange of frijoles de fiesta. For a carne asada, Mr. Castillo notes that anything you want to grill long before the guests arrive can be marinated.
Tortillas are important. Reheating tortillas is all that needs to be done right before serving. “They should be ‘del comal a la mesa,'” Ms Graf said, adding that they don’t literally have to go straight from a hot skillet to the table. Instead, she warms them one at a time in a small bowl, piles them up and wraps them in a tea towel to keep them soft. (Mr. Castillo does the same, using the grill to lightly sear tortillas before swaddling them.) For a really big feast, a tortillero, a covered basket designed to keep tortillas warm, works well.
Even before you heat up tortillas, you want to find the freshest. If you live near a tortilleria or grocery store that makes them daily, pick up the packets in the morning (or ask someone else to come along the way). You can also make your own Sonoran-style corn tortillas or flours. (If you can’t find or make fresh tortillas, be sure to heat everything up to freshen them up.)
Have drinks. Clear. Huge pitchers of cold agua fresca are a must as they are alcohol-free and refreshing, especially in the summer when mixed with cucumber or watermelon.
Relax and have fun. Tacos are like the perfect party playlist, they lift the mood and make everyone feel good. “It’s just a very relaxed potluck,” Mr. Castillo said. “I just want to feed everyone and I want everyone to have a good time.” Tacos make it so easy to get to both.
Recipes: Carne Asada | Arroz Rojo (Red Rice)