What's For Dinner?

Beef Tacos

This recipe comes from Californian Anne Magill, who checks in with us via the Web. It's just as much fun as the taco kits one finds on supermarket shelves but fresher and home made.

The Toppings
• shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
• shredded iceberg lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• diced avocado
• chopped onion
• sour cream
• hot sauce

The Beef Filling

• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt, to taste
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 c crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs brown sugar

The Shells

• corn tortillas

2. Mix together in a small bowl the chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano,, cayenne, and salt.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the onion, and cook until soft, about three minutes. Then add the garlic and the spices, stirring constantly until the spices become fragrant, about a minute.

4. Add the ground beef, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat has browned, scraping the bottom of the pan and breaking up clumps, about three minutes. Then add the tomatoes, chicken broth, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated but the meet is still moist, about ten minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or griddle over a medium flame, coating it with a thin film of oil. Fry the corn tortillas until lightly crisp, one to two minutes per side.

Tips
* If you want the full tacos-in-a-box experience, you can deep-fry your tortillas to make the shells extra crispy. Over a medium flame, heat 3/4 cup of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet until the oil bubbles when a small piece of tortilla is dropped intoit. Using long-handled tongs, lower half of a tortilla into the oil; it will naturally form an L shape. Use a long-handled spoon to keep the lower half of the tortilla submerged. Fry until the tortilla has set, about thirty seconds. Then, reverse the tortilla so that the other half can fry. The trick is to maintain enough of a gap so that there's room to place the filling. Drain on paper towels.

* You can also skip the tortillas entirely, as Anne does for her "low-carb" family. "I chop up the lettuce and put the taco mixture on top with the tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.," she reports. "It's really great."

Back to the Top