South Of The Border Essentials Smoky Taco Dry Mix Food

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ESSENTIALS: SMOKY TACO DRY MIX

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to store this seasoning. I find old spice jars serve that purpose quite well. Make sure that you wash them out really good, so that your new spice does not pick up the flavors of the old one.
• 3. This recipe will give you enough spice mix to flavor 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork.
• 4. Ancho chili powder not only has a bit of heat; in addition, it has a bit of smoke. So, we are getting our smoky flavor from two sources: The chili powder, and the smoked paprika. In addition, I doubled down on the cumin, subbed the onion powder for crushed dehydrated onions, and used white pepper for some sweet, sweet heat.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Grind the dehydrated onions using a mortar-and-pestle, or spice grinder.
• 7. Add all of the spices to a bowl.
• 8. Combine the ingredients, and then store in a good jar with a tight-fitting lid. Then store as you would any other dry spices.
• 9. MAKING THE TACO MEAT
• 10. Take 1-pound of ground beef, chicken, pork, turkey, or any combination thereof, and brown in a skillet with a bit of grapeseed oil, or other non-flavored variety.
• 11. Add the taco spices along with 1 cup of beef stock, or water.
• 12. Slowly simmer until the liquid is reduced by 60 - 70 percent, about 12 - 15 minutes.
• 13. PLATE/PRESENT
• 14. Serve as you would any yummy taco meat, like on these melted cheese tacos. Enjoy.
• 15. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SMOKY BEEF TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover, and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.

BAB'S SOUTH OF THE BORDER TACO DIP

Steps:

• Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain the excess grease.
• Stir in the garlic, chipotle peppers, cumin, and chili powder; cook just until the flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, red bell pepper, and 2 teaspoons lime juice to make a spreadable mixture. Layer the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a large springform pan or 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Spread the cooled beef mixture over the cream cheese.
• Top the beef layer with layers of tomato, black olives, Cheddar cheese, half the lettuce, green onion, remaining lettuce, and the taco sauce.
• Lightly toss the avocados with juice and zest of 2 limes; spread the avocados over the taco sauce.
• Finish the dip by dotting dollops of sour cream all over the top of the dish and sprinkling with cilantro.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX

Steps:

• Mix chili powder, paprika, onion powder, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

SMOKY PORK & BLACK BEAN TACOS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. Sprinkle over the spices and cook for 1 min more. Add the mince, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and stir until cooked through.
• Stir the passata and barbecue sauce into the pan along with 4 tbsp water. Increase the heat and allow the sauce to bubble and reduce until it clings to the meat. Add the beans, season and cook for a further 2 mins, then stir in the coriander. Heat the tacos following pack instructions.
• Use the pork and bean mix to fill the tacos, top with slices of avocado, shredded iceberg lettuce and a dollop of soured cream, if you like.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX

Steps:

• Combine the first nine ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. Yield: 4 batches (about 1 cup total). , To prepare tacos: In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning mix and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup beef mixture.