Here is the recipe I mentioned in the Enchilada Pie Post. This is how Caitie's Great Grandma Hawk made tacos, and we still make them today. The seasoning in the meat, along with how the meat is cooked, and how the taco shells are made, is what makes them different from the typical 'taco seasoning in an envelope, and hard taco shells in a box' tacos. The chewy shells, along with our own seasoned meat, make these tacos delish!Michael was the 'top chef' for this task('top chef' on bravo started tonight, btw. we watch it every season). I didn't want to get in his way, so I wasn't able to take very many pics, but as you can see, I did get a few.
List of Ingredients:
hamburger meat (I suggest you use the 80% lean, 20% fat ratio for this recipe)
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
minced onion
corn tortillas
cooking oil (I suggest you use canola oil which has a higher temp tolerance. This is what Alton Brown, host of Good Eats, recommends. You can catch his show on The Food Network Channel; it's an interesting and educational cooking show.)
Here is a list of the toppings for the tacos; I'll list them in the order they should be placed on the tacos. After frying up the corn tortillas, place hamburger meat inside each one and add the following:
shredded cheese(we started using a mexican style cheddar jack shredded cheese instead of just plain sharp shredded cheddar cheese. try saying that three times fast. ha)
chopped white onion(either a half or a whole onion. it depends on how much onion you like on your taco)
sour cream
salt & pepper (if desired)
guacamole (if desired) (recipe below)
salsa
chopped tomatoes (i use up to three roma tomatoes, which probably equals about one medium-sized tomato; again, it depends on how much you like on your taco)
shredded lettuce
Cooking directions:
Sprinkle some kosher salt in bottom of skillet while it's heating.
Brown hamburger meat; add seasonings while meat is browning.
While the meat is browning, prepare the guacamole using the same seasonings listed above, and shown in the pic below.
After peeling and removing the pits from the avocados(we used three), mush the innards with a fork and add seasonings.
She is now the official corn tortilla model.
Once the meat is done and removed from the skillet, wipe the bottom of the skillet with a paper towel to remove any little bits of meat remaining(be careful when doing this, skillet is still hot), then put back on the burner and add either a quarter inch(if not doing chips), or a half inch(doing chips) of cooking oil to bottom of skillet, let the oil heat up, once heated, begin frying up the corn tortillas. Dip the corn tortillas in the oil, using tongs, for about 15 seconds per side for soft, chewy shells; this is how we like them done. Leave them in longer for crunchy shells. When they're done to your liking, lay them on a plate layered with paper towels.
Once you're done with the taco shells, it's time to fry up the chips. Quarter a half dozen corn tortillas, and add to the half inch of hot oil. Leave them in the oil until they turn a golden brown, about a minute or two, turning them once. Take out and lay on a plate layered with paper towels. Sprinkle kosher salt on the chips; season to your liking.
While Michael was frying up the shells and chips, I prepared the taco toppings. I chopped up the white onion and roma tomatoes, and shredded some lettuce.
Here are all the fixin's for the tacos, along with the chips.
Refer to the 'taco toppers' list above when you're ready to fill the taco shells.
Michael puts so much on top of the tacos, that it looks more like a taco salad than three separate tacos. ha Looks healthy and yummy!
Don't forget dessert! I made some Double-Chocolate Dream Cookies earlier in the day. The only difference between these and the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies I usually make is the cocoa and the amount of brown sugar that's added. They're not bad, but I prefer the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Caitie loves to lick the beaters...
So much so that she took off with one of them; she didn't want me gettin' hold of it until she had gotten every drop of chocolate cookie batter off of it. ha
