The Spanish word tinga means “unruly” or “messy.” But there is nothing messy about the wonderful flavors of this dish with its layers of smoky and sweet. The browned chicken has accents of balsamic vinegar, roasted sweet peppers, and chiles—a sort of Mexican chicken cacciatore. I consider it one of Mexican cuisine’s top ten classic dishes. Tinga tacos are a perennial favorite in northern New Mexico and can have other fillings beside chicken. In addition to tacos or burritos, this filling—really a homey soul-satisfying stew—can be served in a bowl over rice. It also makes a great bocadillo, a Mexican sandwich served on a square crispy roll. To reduce the heat level of this dish, decrease or leave out the chipotle puree.

　　

Ingredients

makes 15 tacos

　　1 poblano chile, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　1 sweet red bell pepper, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

　　1 tablespoon red jalapeño chile powder (page 151)

　　2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon black pepper

　　3 tablespoons canola oil

　　12 ounces jalapeño-chicken sausage

　　1 large white onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

　　15 cloves garlic, dry-roasted (page 158) and mashed

　　3/4 cup chipotle puree (page 153)

　　12 ounces spicy vegetable juice

　　12 ounces tomatoes, blackened (page 164) and cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

　　1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground

　　3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

　　15 (5 1/2-inch) crispy yellow corn tortilla shells (page 17)

　　Garnish: Iceberg Lettuce Garnish (page 144) or chopped fresh cilantro

　　

Step 1

Cut the prepared poblano chile and bell pepper into 1/4-inch-thick strips (rajas); set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, toss the chicken strips with the chile powder, salt, and black pepper and let marinate for 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Toward the end of the marinating time, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and sauté until just barely cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from its casings, crumble it, and add it to the skillet along with the poblano chile strips, red bell pepper strips, and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add the garlic, chipotle puree, juice, tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, and brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has cooked down, about 6 minutes. The mixture should be moist but not wet.

　　

Step 4

Remove from the heat and serve immediately, or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.

　　

Step 5

For crispy tacos, divide the lettuce slaw then the filling equally between the crispy shells, top with salsa and garnish, and arrange in a taco holder. Or, lean the filled shells in a row, propped upright, on a platter. Eat right away. To build your own, spoon some slaw and filling in a crispy shell, top with salsa and garnish, and eat right away.

　　Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.