The blog
Plated Dishes
Short guides to the dishes, ingredients and regional cooking behind what Doc’s Taco Shop served. See every post or the menu it all came from.
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What Is a Chile Relleno? A Stuffed Pepper in Egg Batter
A roasted poblano stuffed with cheese, coated in egg batter and fried. Poblanos are mild, so it is far less spicy than it sounds.
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What Is a Chimichanga? A Burrito, Deep-Fried
A chimichanga is a burrito that has been deep-fried. It comes from Tucson, not Mexico, and at least four restaurants claim it. Here is what to expect.
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What Is Chili con Carne? The San Antonio Original
Chili con carne is a Texan dish, not a Mexican one, sold in San Antonio's plazas from the 1860s. Here is the history and the bean question.
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What Are Fajitas? From Ranch Pay to Sizzling Platter
Fajitas are grilled skirt steak with peppers and onions, assembled into tortillas at the table. Here is where the dish and the name came from.
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Flautas vs Taquitos: Rolled, Fried, and Not the Same
Both are rolled and fried tacos. Flautas are longer and often flour; taquitos are short, corn and Mexican-American. Here is the difference.
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What Are Huevos Rancheros? The Ranch Breakfast
Fried eggs on lightly fried corn tortillas, covered in warm salsa, with beans alongside. Here is the dish and how it differs from chilaquiles.
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What Is Menudo? The Weekend Soup With a Reputation
Menudo is tripe and hominy in a red chilli broth, cooked for hours and eaten at weekends. Here is what to expect and what the hangover claim is worth.
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What Is Pozole? The Hominy Stew, Explained
Pozole is a slow-cooked stew of hominy and meat, dressed at the table. Here is what hominy actually is and how rojo, verde and blanco differ.
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What Is Mole? Not One Sauce but a Whole Family
Mole is a category of complex chilli sauces, not a single recipe. Here is what separates poblano from negro, and whether it really tastes of chocolate.
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What Are Enchiladas? The Sauce Is the Dish
Enchiladas are corn tortillas rolled around a filling and covered in chilli sauce. The sauce is what names them. Here is how to read the menu.
Doc’s Taco Shop closed permanently on 19 July 2025. These guides stay up because the food they describe did not go anywhere.