Taco meat!

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I've been eating tacos all my life. Favorite meats are either shredded chuck roast or pork butt, but the kind we used to make when I greased my first skillet were, like yours, ground beef and smushed beans. I still make them like that sometimes.
Tell me about your epazote. When both it and I are in the Mexican Grocery at the same time I freeze whole leaves or twigs. Cook with beans and fish them out at the end like bay leaves. Guessing you're adding chopped leaves to the skillet early, like oregano?


PS I looked up smushed and it is a word, and it means what we mean by it, but don't look it up in your urban dictionary.
 
I've been eating tacos all my life. Favorite meats are either shredded chuck roast or pork butt, but the kind we used to make when I greased my first skillet were, like yours, ground beef and smushed beans. I still make them like that sometimes.

Tell me about your epazote. When both it and I are in the Mexican Grocery at the same time I freeze whole leaves or twigs. Cook with beans and fish them out at the end like bay leaves. Guessing you're adding chopped leaves to the skillet early, like oregano?





PS I looked up smushed and it is a word, and it means what we mean by it, but don't look it up in your urban dictionary.


LOL! As I said, it's not authentic, it just tasted good. We are frequent visitors to Mexico, and also have many excellent Mexican restaurants where we live, so I'm no stranger to the good stuff!

I use epazote from Penzey's, it's dried and finely chopped, but I really like it in chili and bean dishes. I add it after browning the beef and just leave it in.

And now I'm off to look up what smushed means in the urban dictionary!

Edit: Oh dear. Well, I've been using "smushed" as a cooking term long before Urban Dictionary appeared.
 
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I use epazote from Penzey's, it's dried and finely chopped, but I really like it in chili and bean dishes. I add it after browning the beef and just leave it in...

In Chili you say? Hmmm, more details please? This sounds interesting and how spendy is this spice you speak of from Penzey's? We have a store about 30 miles from here...
 
In Chili you say? Hmmm, more details please? This sounds interesting and how spendy is this spice you speak of from Penzey's? We have a store about 30 miles from here...


Epazote is cheap. Supposedly it takes away the, um, possible after effects of bean dishes. It's called the "bean herb" in several cultures. I find it to be a nice addition. You are lucky to have a Penzey's that close, K-Girl, we have many Penzeys fans here on DC!
 
so, @dawgluver does epazote impart any different flavor to the dish?
I just watched an episode of Julia Childs Master Chefs on our local PBS station with Rick Bayless and he had made so sort of dish using the same fresh herb... LOVE Penzey, my Mother discovered it not long at after we moved here, I had never heard of them, being as there is now in Honolulu.
OH, I hope that I'm not hijacking this thread? SO SORRY, not sure who the OP is...
Now, back to your regular programming...
 
In Chili you say? Hmmm, more details please? This sounds interesting and how spendy is this spice you speak of from Penzey's? We have a store about 30 miles from here...

Spendy and cheap are relative terms depending on the wallet of the beholder, so to speak. Here is a link to Penzeys online price list. Penzeys online price list. Type Epazote in the search box and press enter.
1/8 ounce for $3.45, $5.15 per ounce or $24.29 for 8 ounces is too much for me, but I'm poor and cheap both. Fortunately for me and I bet for you in Arizona there is a Mexican market nearby. I don't remember the price because it really is cheap. Its sold in a bunch like collard greens or whatever they sell in Hawaii in bunches like collard greens or epazote. :ermm: Probably less than 2 bucks a bunch.
 
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@skilletlicker, I never thought about that, sure I would imagine I should be able to find that here, what being so close to Mexico and all.
BTW, @dawgluver, it is yourself who is the OP of this thread... :stuart:


Yes. Yes I am!

Dried epazote weighs almost nothing. An ounce yields a big bag. Hard to describe the flavor. Since I have it, I add it to anything with beans.
 
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I do the same as chiklitmanfan. I fry corn tortillas in just a little bit of oil, half inch or so, and pull them out when they're still pliable. I don't like them fried crispy, because then they are harder to open to fill with goodies. :)

As far back as I can remember, my dad made tacos for us every Friday night. It was us kids' favorite night of the week.

I love tacos just about any way...with chicken, gr. beef, shredded beef, fish...but I think my fave is very simple. Pulled pork with a little cumin, lettuce and salsa. Often some avocado. No cheese on mine, and never store bought taco shells. :)


img_1379268_0_01b088664b8984be1481b3739fc5f88b.jpg
 
My Dad did the same thing.
A few years ago, after moving here to the middle of the desert, I tried this again with the beautiful handmade tortillas in Southern AZ... no the same as Dad's.

...but you've all inspried me... lunch today was soft tacos

View attachment 21621

DH's plate

View attachment 21622

My plate with the Avo on it

(edit-forgot, homemade pico there too, yum)

Looks great, kgirl!! :yum:
 
thanks cheryl j, i love the fresh tortillas here in AZ, I think my Dad who loved anything Spanish/Mexican taught me to try all types of foods, my Mother, meh, not so much, she wasn't so much a cook... my sister likes to come to our house just to EAT! If we go to her house, she begs me to make her this or that... she tells her 'at the moment boyfriend' oh, my sister makes this good or that, you have to try it... but that was the mantra in our house, "try it"
 
I would like to be able to make slow cooked taco meat, the kind that roadside stands or drive ins make. Stringy and authentic tasting. Then I'd like to learn to oil fry the taco shells. I was once working in a couples home who had an elderly mexican maid cook who cooked up the meat beforehand and fried up the taco tortillas for them for lunch. My mouth was watering and I was so envious of them. To them it was just another meal for lunch.

I wonder if I would know how to cook genuine slow cooked taco meat and do the oil fried taco shells, but I keep telling myself to try. I don't even know where to start, but slow cooking the seasoned meat all day is how they do it. As for oil frying the tortillas and folding them, I suppose I could get that part learned.

Caslon, once you master how to cook your own taco shells you'll never go back to those brittle nasty shells in a box.

Here's how Mama taught me. Have all your taco fixin's ready to go. I buy the super size yellow corn tortillas.
In your largest skillet, pour in about an inch of veg. oil, and get it hot on med heat. With tongs, lay a tortilla into the oil just to wet it, and quickly turn it over, wetting the other side. With the tongs, quickly flop one side over the other forming the "taco" shape. Lightly fry on each side. I can get three of them into my largest skillet, with round edges facing outward. Don't cook them too much because the seam will crack if you do. Drain them on paper towels, and fill all three of them with all the fixin's, then begin on the next three. They must be eaten right away, so while hubby is eating, I cook mine. It takes some practice to do this, but it is SOOOOOOO worth it. I repeat, those hard boxed shells are nasty. :rolleyes: ;)
Let me know if you try it......you won't be sorry.
 
I used up the last batch of taco meat in the enchilladas, so I'm making another batch today.

I didn't like the tortillas I used, so I'm just going to layer a few on the bottom and make it like a flat enchillada casserole.

I'll have to go back to WalMart next week to pick up a prescription, so I'll get some small flour tortillas and more refried beans and enchillada sauce. I really liked the filling of the last batch I made, so I want to try it with flour tortillas.
 
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I used up the last batch of taco meat in the enchilladas, so I'm making another batch today.

I didn't like the tortillas I used, so I'm just going to layer a few on the bottom and make it like a flat enchillada casserole.

I'll have to go back to WalMart next week to pick up a prescription, so I'll get some small flour tortillas and more refried beans and enchillada sauce. I really liked the filling of the last batch I made, so I want to try it with flour tortillas.

Zhizara,

Have you ever tried freezing them after they are filled? I think it might be a good option for us single folks.

Burrito Vlog Transcript | Life As Mom

How I Make Burritos to Freeze — Freezer Friendly from Jessica Fisher | The Kitchn
 
Caslon, once you master how to cook your own taco shells you'll never go back to those brittle nasty shells in a box.

Here's how Mama taught me. Have all your taco fixin's ready to go. I buy the super size yellow corn tortillas.
In your largest skillet, pour in about an inch of veg. oil, and get it hot on med heat. With tongs, lay a tortilla into the oil just to wet it, and quickly turn it over, wetting the other side. With the tongs, quickly flop one side over the other forming the "taco" shape. Lightly fry on each side. I can get three of them into my largest skillet, with round edges facing outward. Don't cook them too much because the seam will crack if you do. Drain them on paper towels, and fill all three of them with all the fixin's, then begin on the next three. They must be eaten right away, so while hubby is eating, I cook mine. It takes some practice to do this, but it is SOOOOOOO worth it. I repeat, those hard boxed shells are nasty. :rolleyes: ;)
Let me know if you try it......you won't be sorry.
I will have to try this. I thought you had to make the tortillas yourself. The last few times I have bought the shells in the box, they have been stale and horrible. I hope I can find the soft corn tortillas here (without a whackload of weird chemicals).
 
I will have to try this. I thought you had to make the tortillas yourself. The last few times I have bought the shells in the box, they have been stale and horrible. I hope I can find the soft corn tortillas here (without a whackload of weird chemicals).


I just bought a package of Mission brand soft corn tortillas. They have a bunch of different kinds, some "all natural". We have a big Hispanic population here, and all the grocery stores have a decent selection of Mexican ingredients. I'm looking forward to experimenting with them!
 
Kayelle, you explained the tortilla frying technique perfectly. :)

To those of you wanting to try this, here's another little hint....to test your oil and see if it's hot enough, dip a bit of the rim of the tortilla into the hot oil. If it immediately bubbles and sizzles, the oil is perfect and ready to fry your tortillas.

And yes....I agree that those boxed taco shells ARE nasty. IMO :LOL:
 
Another one here for Mission corn - have 1/2 package in the fridge now, need to buy more soon. :)
 
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