Thursday, November 7, 2013

Taco's

We eat Taco's at least once a week in our house, and it has become my go-to, can't think of what else to make meal.
Why?
Cause Taco's are probably next to Pizza!!!! as my DH's favorite meal.    Wait a minute, I wonder which one he would choose, if he had to choose between them for dinner.  Hmmm, sounds like fun dilemma to put him in, giggle.   But that's for another day.

Today, I'm sharing how I make Taco's, and it is easy.  Really, it is.  The most difficult part of them is making the Taco shells, cause I fry them from good corn tortilla's.  Neither one of us likes the hard taco shells you can buy that are pre-made.

To start with, I make my meat filling.  I've been making them this way for over 30 years, and don't plan on changing any time soon.   Why mess with perfection?

Brown your meat of choice, I use lean hamburger meat, or good ground turkey when I can get it for a reasonable price.   Your choice.

Cook til just starting to brown and add La Victoria Taco Sauce and a little water.  I use either a full bottle, the 8 ounce size and an equal amount of water or a half bottle of the 15 oz size and the equivalent amount of water and let it simmer until it has reduced down.   If you add too much water, don't sweat it, just let it cook a little bit longer.

While that is simmering away, prepare your toppings, whatever kind you like.  My DH is a purist, lettuce, tomato and cheese.   I like to amp it up a little and add some finely chopped onion and black olives, along with the lettuce, tomato and cheese.   My personal preference is for Colby Jack cheese, shredded.   And since this is my blog, we'll do it my way.  

Now for the tricky part.  Making the taco shells.  I don't have any fancy equipment to make them the 'right' way and since I've been doing it my way for so long, I've kinda gotten the hang of making them.   I watched Alton Brown one day making 'molds' for taco shells, and telling how long to cook each one and I had to laugh.  I just use my tongs, and form them that way.   And you know what, people eat them and love them that way.   I know this cause I've had people over for Taco's before and they ate all the taco's I made.  We like the yellow corn tortillas here, have tried the white ones, but really, just don't care for them at all.  

To start with, heat your oil.  I have this handy, dandy, really cheap pot that I've used for over 30 years to make the shells in.  It looks like, well, it looks like it should have been retired a long time ago.
It is perfect for this, the corn tortilla's fit right in, and it is shallow enough to move them around as I form the shells.
Place the tortilla in the hot oil, and as the edges begin to crisp a little, turn it over, and let cook another few seconds.














Grab the shell on one side and fold up a little and hold it in the oil until it firms/crisps up, then turn it over and let it finish crisping.
Remove to a pan, I use an old pie tin, and let it sit to drip off the oil. 
Continue with the next tortilla and when it is is done, place it over the first.  If you do this right you can get a nice little stack going.
And it helps them to stay warm.   I don't salt them right away, we tend to be careful of using too much salt around here, but you can certainly salt them as soon as you take them out of the oil.

Then just build your taco your way.  A little meat, a little lettuce, tomato and some shredded cheese on top.

I do mine a little differently.  Cheese goes in first, then the meat, some onions, black olives, tomatoes, some more cheese and at the last some lettuce, but I forgot to take a picture of that one. sigh.


So there you have it, Taco's my way.   And if you have a favourite taco sauce, use that one.  For us, it has to be La Victoria brand, they just don't taste right otherwise.  

Please feel free to leave me a comment or note or just say Hi. I love to hear from you and am so glad you're reading my blog.    
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

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