Don't Panic Pantry: Smoked Potato Tacos ("the best" vegetarian cooking + smoked tomatillo salsa)

This is one of the best tasting things we have ever made on the show. In fact, it's Ben's favorite. When I was running Bludso's BBQ, I was tasked with coming up with a vegetarian option for the company's new coffee shop Cofax. It lead to our now-famed smoked potato breakfast burrito. Now, you don't have to smoke the potatoes and tomatillos, because papas con rajas is one of the great flavor combinations in the world (non-smoking option given below too). But if you happen to be smoking BBQ, you can always sneak some potatoes and tomatillos onto the pit to make yourself some breakfast or a midnight snack.
So here, we present a (very) loose recipe for Smoked Potato Tacos:
yields about 2 dozen tacos, though you can also just make a few tacos and then save the filling in the fridge because it is great with eggs in the morning
3-ish pounds of russet potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
neutral oil to coat, plus another 1/4 cup or so to fry
wood chunks (if smoking)-ideally pecan
charcoal (if smoking)
8-ish poblano chiles (you can substitute 2 green bell peppers & 2 red bell peppers if you don't want to char poblanos. This will be less good but still good)
1 to 3 chiles de arbol (depending on how 🔥 you want)
1 large white onion, diced
a small head of cabbage, finely shredded (red or green)
juice from 1/2 to 1 lime
corn tortillas
cotija cheese (optional) to finish, and perhaps also to add into the potatoes
If smoking:
In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with just enough oil to coat, and season with salt. Place tomatillos on a sheet pan (ideally disposable aluminum, since cleaning a pan that was in a smoker sucks) and toss them in a light coating of oil and salt.
Set up your smoker with a bed of coals and light them. One they are ashed out and gray all over, add a few chunks of wood and let that raw smoke cook off for about 5 minutes. You are looking for a smoker temperature between 250 and 325. Add the potatoes and tomatillos and smoke them until the tomatillos are completely soft to the touch -- about 1 hour. The potatoes will not be cooked through but they will have enough smoke on them.
If not smoking:
For potatoes, simply skip ahead to dicing. For the tomatillos, you just want to cook until soft. You can achieve this by simmering in water, roasting in the oven, grilling, or charring under the broiler. I like the charred taste in the salsa, so I recommend broiling or grilling.
Back to the "recipe:"
Poblanos! Using tongs directly over the flame of a gas stove; on a gas grill, or under the broiler-char the chiles all over, until they are blackened on all sides. Transfer to a container with a lid; or a paper bag-anything where you can allow them to rest and steam, keeping the heat trapped. Rest until cool enough to handle, then remove the stems and seeds (don't rinse them or you will lose flavor). Chop them into thin strips (rajas) or a small dice. Set aside.
In a dry pan, toast the number of red chiles you want in a pan over medium heat until smelling toasty but not blackened or burnt. Transfer chiles de arbol to a large mixing bowl or blender. Add the cooked tomatillos, a splash of water, a hefty pinch of salt, and a glug of neutral oil. Add a small handful of charred poblanos if using. Blend until smooth and taste for salt. If it is too intense, add a little more oil and/or water.
Cut the potatoes into a small-to-medium dice. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with oil. Add the poblanos (or diced bell peppers if subbing), onion and a hearty pinch of salt. Cook until onions are translucent-about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, season with salt and cook, stirring semi-frequently, until they have become almost fully softened. If they are drying out, add a splash of oil or even water to help steam them without adding too much fat-deglazing the bottom of the pan whenever you add more liquid. Once they are almost fully softened, add a 1/4-ish cup of the salsa and stir well. Cook until the potatoes are soft enough that you could smash them with the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt. Optional: fold in some crumbled cotija cheese. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, toss the shredded cabbage with lime juice and salt. If it is too intense, add a small drizzle of oil.
Finally, make your tacos. Warm up corn tortillas in a hot skillet-just enough to make them pliable. Fill them with a layer of potatoes across the middle and then fold them in half, leaving a little bit of room at the top. Add some oil to the pan and then, over medium-high heat, crisp the tacos on both sides, in batches, until crisp but not dried out. Once cooked, set aside and garnish with crumbled cotija and dressed cabbage. Eat as soon as they are cool enough.

[@stereosympathy]

Well thanks a lot! now I need to buy a smoker just to make some potato tacos. Honestly, those look absolutely delicious!

[@pegerickson]

Is the skin left on or off before blending. I couldn’t tell. Looks delicious! Thank you 🌸

[@dontpanicpantry]

Skin on! For the tomatillos you just take the husks off before you smoke them. Otherwise skin on across the board

[@anisaromano5352]

I'm just here for the sheer entertainment factor. These recipes are way beyond me; I know nothing about food - thought you were putting either limes or apples on a pan at first, but your videos are great.

[@dontpanicpantry]

Thank you! I love that you're watching anyway but try one of the easier ones and see if it works. I believe in you! Maybe the tomato sauce from episode 1?

[@LBCBassKings]

6:14 best sound in the world

[@dontpanicpantry]

hahaha I'll take it. I think our pasta videos might give similar vibes

[@LBCBassKings]

@@dontpanicpantry Yes! Stir the pasta instead of churning butter!

[@anythingcanbe]

"You can also just order tacos" took me OUT!!! 🤣

[@dontpanicpantry]

haha

[@wmandel1]

Looks amazing. I wanna try them and maybe add some chorizo.

[@dontpanicpantry]

I can confirm that if you fry up chorizo and fold it into the potatoes it is very, very good. Full recipe for my chorizo-smoked potato breakfast burrito in the Bludso's BBQ Cookbook nowservingla.com/products/preorder-bludsos-bbq-cookbook-a-family-affair-in-smoke-and-soul-kevin-bludso-with-noah-galuten

[@rickbourne1376]

Impressive and creative.

[@dontpanicpantry]

thank you! They are very good.

[@TJMiller86]

As the kids would say.... those look bussin! 😋😃

[@dontpanicpantry]

I will have to look that word up, but it sounds positive!

[@gracevangorder3247]

If you can't find chiles de arbol in the grocery store could you sub a small amount of jalapeño or cayenne instead? So excited to try these!

[@dontpanicpantry]

Absolutely. I like a dry heat versus fresh in this salsa, so any dried red chile would work, but roasted Serranos or jalapeño would would well too.

[@sydneysbs]

These look amazing! I really want to try making these 😍

[@dontpanicpantry]

Let me know how it goes!!

[@sydneysbs]

@@dontpanicpantry I am the world's worst cook ever so I'm 100% sure it will not look or taste as good as yours 😂😂 however I'm still excited for some tasty times!! 🤗

[@dontpanicpantry]

@@sydneysbs you can do it!

[@kfague]

Can you smoke red tomatoes for pasta sauce or salsa?

[@dontpanicpantry]

I find that red tomatoes get a little too sweet for my taste when they get smoked...but I also don't love sweet food. I have, however, heard some good things about people smoking FLOUR and then using it to make pasta.... If you wanted to get smoke flavor into a tomato sauce, I might be more inclined to smoked some onions and garlic.

[@amandamartini-hughes2117]

what is the level of spice for poblanos?

[@dontpanicpantry]

they are pretty mild. most of the spice on this comes from the chiles de arbol in the tomatillo salsa

[@amandamartini-hughes2117]

@@dontpanicpantry so skip the chiles for the spice averse or start off very small... lol

[@dontpanicpantry]

@@amandamartini-hughes2117 yep! still pretty good with no heat!

[@meghanmilligan1]

I zoned out for a second and I thought Noah was oiling up a pan of limes.

[@dontpanicpantry]

Maybe hot limes on the next show?

[@meghanmilligan1]

@@dontpanicpantry Piping hot citrus? I’m in.

[@dontpanicpantry]

@@meghanmilligan1 nothing wrong with a grilled Meyer lemon!

[@annw9195]

Do you think adding some liquid smoke if you do not own a smoker would mimic the flavour you created?

[@dontpanicpantry]

Honestly, I would rather just skip the smoke and put more energy into charring the poblanos and tomatillos. Papas con rajas are still really, really great!

[@marianaramirez2756]

✨Tomatillo ✨

[@dontpanicpantry]

so underrated! One of the best ingredients.

[@gamehead27]

Coming up next week, Smoked Brisket? 😉

[@dontpanicpantry]

No, but...can I interest you in: www.barandque.com/cookbook-preorder

[@romainegame1529]

could you grill the potatoes instead of smoking them?

[@dontpanicpantry]

If you have a charcoal grill, you could definitely get a little of the smoke flavor on them that way. Ideally, with wood chunks over the charcoal, pushed to one side of the grill and the potatoes on the other end getting indirect smoke. The point is the smoky flavor, so if it's a gas grill you're better off just skipping the smoking step and going straight into the pan. But if you wanted to char the tomatillos on a grill, that would add some nice smokiness!

[@johnathonbingham]

@@dontpanicpantry or a foil packet of water-soaked wood chips on a gas grill.

[@dontpanicpantry]

@@johnathonbingham haven't tried this out but I'm sure it will work! I know a lot of chefs who do similar things in an oven too. I just haven't personally tried this out yet.

[@nolliebug]

😋😋😋😋😋

[@dontpanicpantry]

🙌

[@johnwxyz3395]

haha Eliza is like a rabid dinosaur. Great episode.

[@dontpanicpantry]

agreed! And thank you!