Mexican Essentials Awesome Steak Taco Meat Recipes

BEST EVER TACO MEAT

Steps:

• brown oil, meat, potato, onion, bell pepper, salt, black and red pepper (flakes), garlic powder, and cumin to a large dutch oven or big skillet -- drain if necessary.
• Add to this the rest of the ingredients, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes -- til all the ingredients are soft. Then, remove from heat, and take a potato masher or something like that, and grind the entire pot to a mushy consistency -- VERY IMPORTANT STEP. Once it looks like thick oatmeal, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes and stir to keep from sticking --.
• * The beans in this recipe is a product found in Texas grocery stores, but all it is, is canned, cooked, whole pinto beans in a Mexican chili powder sauce. The addition of the beans is important to keep the mixture thick. To improvise, add a can of plain canned pinto beans, don't drain, and add a tablespoon or to taste of just plain old Mexican chili powder -- It really adds another dimension of flavor with the cumin.
• Be sure to taste along the way -- you may like it spicier, saltier, whatever, but here are the basics to use -- just taste along the way.
• You can use this Taco Meat in Burritos, Tacos, Taco Salads, Chalupas, you name it! It is awesome and everyone will be wanting this recipe from you.

MEXICAN STEAK TACOS

Steps:

• Cook Rice.
• Meanwhile, combine cumin, garlic powder, taco sauce, salsa, salt and rub over both sides of steak.
• Spray broiler pan with cooking spray; place steak on pan; Broil 4 minutes each side or until desired doneness (or cook on outside grill); cut steak into thin slices.
• Combine rice, tomatoes and chiles, place mixture in shells.
• Top rice mixture with beef slices.
• Squeeze juice from limes over beef; top with sour cream, if desired, Enjoy.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ESSENTIALS: AWESOME TACO MEAT

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. To make this recipe, you will require a pot or skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients.
• 3. The Ground Beef I grind my own meats, and for this recipe I am using a lean chuck roast (80/20). You can get ground chuck from your local butcher; however, you could try other types of meat; even ground chicken or turkey.
• 4. Can You Freeze this Recipe? Absolutely, just put it into portion-size freezer bags (Ziploc), squeeze as much air out as possible, and pop into the fridge. It should be good for 4 - 6 months. When needed, let the bag defrost overnight in the fridge, then slowly heat up over low heat. FYI: If you use a vacuum sealer, you will extend the freezer time to about a year. I LOVE my vacuum sealer.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Add the ground beef to a pot or skillet over medium heat.
• 7. Add the onion, if using.
• 8. As it cooks, break it up using a spatula or wooden spoon.
• 9. After it is cooked, drain off any grease, and add all the dry spices. Stir until the beef is coated in the spice mixture. Add the tomato sauce and beef stock, then stir and bring up to a simmer. Simmer until it begins to thicken, about 20 - 30 minutes.
• 10. PLATE/PRESENT
• 11. Serve with corn or flour tortillas and other fixings. Enjoy.
• 12. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• Here is a great recipe for refried beans: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/south-of-the-border-essentials-refried-beans.html?r=10
• These work well with beef, pork, or chicken... Here is an awesome recipe for steak taco meat: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/mexican-essentials-awesome-steak-taco-meat.html?r=11
• There are a lot of cheeses that you could use for this... even a combination of different varieties. I felt that the queso fresco, really pulled the other ingredients together, and helped to make this recipe a success.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350f (175c).
• Brush both sides of the tortillas with the avocado oil.
• Toast in the oven until browning is spots, and beginning to crisp, about 3 - 5 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Turn the tortillas over after 2 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and spread some refried beans over the top.
• Add a generous amount of chicken, pork, or beef.
• Cover with the cheese... Be generous.
• Pop back into the oven, for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty, and beginning to brown in spots.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Serve them while nice and warm. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

AUTHENTIC BAJA-MEXICAN STREET TACOS (CARNE ASADA)

Steps:

• Combine orange juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne in a large freezer bag. Submerge skirt steaks in the marinade. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate, 1 to 8 hours.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the steaks until hot and firm in the center or to your preferred doneness, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a flat work surface and slice as thinly as possible against the grain.
• Heat corn tortillas on the grill or in a microwave. Keep tortillas warm in a folded sheet of aluminum foil covered by a thick towel.
• Add steak to each tortilla and top with white onion and cilantro.

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: AWESOME BEEF BRISKET TACOS

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• Add the cumin, paprika, cayenne, onions, and beef stock to a saucepan, and bring up to a simmer.
• Add the brisket to the saucepan.
• Allow to simmer slowly until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Do not rush this process, just let the ingredients slowly simmer, and infuse the brisket with yummy flavor.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Dress up your tacos in the usual manner, but substitute the brisket for your usual protein. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

MEXICAN ESSENTIALS: AWESOME STEAK TACO MEAT

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• For this recipe, you will need an ovenproof pot, with a tight-fitting lid. If you have a Dutch oven, that would be perfect.
• The Peppers If you like Mexican food, you probably have a few cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, hanging about your storeroom. They are great in so many recipes. In this recipe, I chop them up in a bit of the sauce, and throw them into the pot. Some people prefer to scrape out the seeds before chopping... that is up to you. I make my own chipotle pepper in sauce, and someday I will have to post the recipe. FYI: The intensity of this recipe comes from the chipotle peppers, and the chili powders. Feel free to adjust those items to develop the exact level of heat you desire.
• Here is a photo of my favorite canned variety of chipotle peppers. However, there are a lot of good brands available.
• Where's the Beef? You could probably use just about any type of beef for this recipe. As a matter of fact, the most common type used for a recipe like this is flank steak Both flank and flat-iron steak are flavorful. The flank comes from the belly muscle, while the flat-iron hails from the chuck primal. One of the big differences between the two is that the flat-iron has a bit more marbling (fat), and I want some of that yummy fat to increase the flavors of the recipe.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Place a rack in the bottom position, and preheat the oven to 250f (120c).
• Cut the flat-iron steak against the grain into thin strips, I am thinking about 1/4-inch (0.6cm). If you want a bit more of a chew, cut them a little thicker. However, I would not go much thinner, or they will fall apart in the braising liquid.
• Add all the braising ingredients to an ovenproof pot, and stir to combine.
• Add the beef, and combine with the other ingredients.
• Cover the pot, and place into the preheated oven, for one hour.
• Remove the pot, give the beef a quick stir, then re-cover, place back into the oven, increase the temperature to 275f (135c), and cook for an additional hour.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• I love using this beef for tacos; however, there are so many creative ways to enjoy its spicy flavor. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.