Monday, February 21, 2011

Where's the beef, tacos

We don't do a lot of beef around here, so I thought I'd give one of my favorite ingredients some much overdue love.  Sticking with the theme from last night, these beef tacos have strong Mexican underpinnings and can pack a punch.  I would recommend using ground beef from your local farmer's market.  It's usually a good price, and has tons of flavor (it hasn't been sitting on a truck from Kansas for a week).  Here, the spices really bring out the best in the dish ... I frequently make slight alterations to this recipe, but the core is always the same.  Cumin and beef are *very* good friends.

Recipe:
1 lb. fresh ground beef
1 cup sweet corn kernels

1 cup black beans, rinsed
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeño (optional), minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I prefer Lea & Perrins®)
1 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
sea salt to taste
6 - 8 small tortillas

Here's the beef!
-> Add oil to pan and turn heat to medium.  While oil is heating, rinse beans if you haven't already done so.  Add corn, beans, and red bell pepper to a separate sauce pan.  Throw in half of your spices, and keep tasting it as it cooks to adjust as necessary.  Heat this mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes (10 or more if you're using frozen veggies).  Add onion, garlic, and jalapeños to oil and let sizzle until onions are translucent, then add beef, remaining spices, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook until beef is brown all the way through.  While beef is cooking, I like to heat up my tortillas.  This can either be done in a pan (I recommend adding a bit of olive oil) or in a toaster oven, wrapped in some foil.

Add the corn, bean and pepper mixture to tacos with beef, grated cheese, and any garnish you prefer (cilantro or hot sauce are my two choices).
Enjoy!

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