San Diego Style Fish Tacos

1. Make Pickled Red Onions

Place the sliced red onion in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour this hot mixture over the onions and let them cool for about 30 minutes.

2. Prepare Zarandeado Sauce

In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle chile, arbol chile, Tapatío hot sauce, beer, mustard, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Mexican oregano, and pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

3. Prepare Fish

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F. Arrange a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and set it aside. Season the cod fillets with 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt and 0.5 teaspoons of pepper, then lightly coat each piece with flour.

4. Cook Fish

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the skillet. When the butter has melted and the foam subsides, add half of the cod pieces to the skillet. Cook the cod for about 2 minutes on each side, or until it develops a golden crust. Drizzle some of the zarandeado sauce over the fish, flip the pieces, and drizzle more sauce on the other side. Transfer the cooked fish to the prepared wire rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat this process with the remaining oil, butter, and cod.

5. Assemble Tacos

Combine the shredded red and green cabbage in a bowl. Warm the corn tortillas by either heating them on a dry skillet or wrapping them in a damp towel and microwaving them for about 30 seconds. To build the tacos, place a piece of cod on each tortilla, followed by a handful of the cabbage mixture, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and a few pickled red onions. Finish with a drizzle of the zarandeado sauce and a couple of avocado slices. Serve the tacos immediately.