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Jesse is my son. He's in the latter stages of thirty-something now with a seven-year old son of his own. Jesse was a really good kid. The kind of good that makes you wonder what you did to deserve a child that sweet, smart and easy to get along with -- until it came time to eat. Let's cut to the chase and say until he was a teen I had a very short list of 100% stressfree dinner options: pizza, pasta, bacon, shrimp, anything with ground meat, and, chocolate. That about covers it!
There really isn't too much more to tell. Whenever I latched onto a flavor combination that Jesse enjoyed, I did my best to prepare food using those herbs and spices as often as possible. Next to cooking Italian food, Tex-Mex fare was at the top of my kid-friendly dinner list. This basic but very flavorful ground beef taco recipe was created by me back in the early '80's, when Jess was around 6- 8-years-old, solely to please his finicky palate -- but his two older brothers loved them too, and, I served them "taco bar-style" so everyone in our family of five could make their own.
It wasn't long before I began making the meat mixture in large quantities, portioning it into user-friendly-sized 2-cup containers (enough to fill 8-10 taco shells), and freezing it to have on hand for quick weeknight meals and snacks. Yes, just like pizza, tacos make a great evening snack for kids (and adults too).
These beef tacos paved the way for chile con queso, burritos, fajitas and quesadillas too!
Note: This is the big batch version. It makes 12 cups of taco filling.
6 tablespoons corn oil
6 pounds 96% lean ground beef
1 pound diced yellow or sweet onion
6 large garlic cloves, run through a garlic press
8-10 ounces each: diced green bell pepper and red bell pepper
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely-diced
12 tablespoons ~ Mel's Homemade Tex-Mex-Style Taco Seasoning ~, click on the Related Article link below to get the recipe
2 14 1/2-ounce cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup sofrito (Note: Soffrito is a versatile puree of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, garlic, culantro and EVOO. It's the foundation of many Latin American, Portuguese and Spanish dishes. While it is not authentic Tex-Mex, it does contain the same basic veggies and flavors common to Tex-Mex, and, I keep a bottled brand stashed in my refrigerator at all times. It is NOT the same as Italian soffritto.)
~ Step 1. In a 14" chef's pan w/straight deep sides place the corn oil and ground beef. Prep the onion, garlic, bell peppers and jalapenos as directed, placing them in the pan as you work.
Add the taco seasoning. Note: If adding store-bought taco seasoning, check the proportions and adjust accordingly.
~ Step 2. Over no heat, give the ingredients a thorough mix. Over medium heat, cook, breaking up and stirring frequently with a large spatula or spoon, until meat has lost its color and is steamed through, about 30 minutes. There will be quite a bit of liquid in the pan. Adjust heat to a simmer (medium-high) and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid has evaporated from pan, about 30-45 more minutes.
~ Step 3. Stir in the tomatoes, followed by the sofrito.
Continue to cook, until almost all liquid has evaporated from the pan, 15-30 more minutes.
Note: The mixture is now technically ready to serve, however, I recommend removing it from the heat, covering the pan and allowing it to steep for about 2-4 hours prior to serving warm.
#1. Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat filling...
... into each deep-fried & lightly sea-salted corn tortilla.
#2. Top with shredded lettuce, salsa and grated cheddar...
... and enjoy until you just can't take it any more:
Kids Stuff: Jesse's Favorite Tex-Mex Beef Tacos: Recipe yields 12 cups of filling/enough for six meals of 8-10 tacos each.
Special Equipment List: 12" chef's pan w/straight, deep sides & lid; cutting board; chef's knife; garlic press; spatula; large spatula or spoon
Cook's Note: If it is an adult crowd your trying to impress with some Tex-Mex food, you might want to give my recipe for ~ Tequila-Lime Skirt-Steak Fajitas (Tacos al Carbon) ~ a try. These are a cross between a modern-day fajita and an old-style Mexican taco and you can find the recipe in Categories 2, 10, 13, 17 19 or 20!
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2014)
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