Have you ever watched “Taco Trip” on the Cooking Channel? My sister Kat told me about this show hosted by Aaron Sanchez taking a look at the best tacos across several cities. I started watching and couldn’t stop thinking about all those tantalizing tacos. One that stood out was an Asian taco from New Orleans at the Pho Bistreaux that they called Bacos. It’s made with marinated strips of pork shoulder and topped with pickled carrots, cilantro and sliced jalapenos. A steamed bun or Banh Bao is used in place of a tortilla. You can make the dough by hand or there is a pre-made flour mix that you can find at an Asian food store. While looking for the mixed flour I happened upon some frozen pre-made buns which I thought would be easier especially for my first time making these. The frozen pre-made buns steamed perfectly but I think I will give the mixed flour a try next time. The chef at Pho Bistreaux gave away many of the ingredients but she wouldn’t disclose her master marinade sauce which she said had only 5 ingredients. So I put on my thinking cap and came up with my own 5 ingredients that I thought would make a tasty marinade. I was amazed at how yummy these tacos tasted. There are a lot of flavors layered on these tiny steamed buns and I can see why they are so popular!
Continue reading

