One of the quickest and easiest meals for working cooks to prepare is tacos. It was taco night at my house this evening. The challenge of taco night is to make the meal taste like more than the seasoning packet. There are several things you can do to make taco night go from blah to wow!
I use lean ground beef (90/10) and a package taco mix. (Remember the goal is to be quick, easy and flavorful.) When the beef is simmering, I heat tortillas for soft tacos on my tortilla pan (Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 10-1/2-Inch Round Griddle
). You may be thinking "Why use a tortilla pan? The microwave works just fine. Yes, the microwave will warm the tortillas, but using the tortilla pan gives more flavor to the tortillas. I use a silicone basting brush (Set of 3 Silicone Basting Brushes
)to coat the pan with oil. It doesn't take much oil. I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but you can use any light oil you like. Place a tortilla on the hot tortilla pan for about 30 seconds and flip to the other side. You want both sides to be lightly browned. This step adds a layer of flavor to the meal that you just don't get using a microwave and you can do this with both corn or flour tortillas. Some nights I do both to accomodate the tastes of my two teenagers. As you take the tortillas off the pan place them on a piece of aluminum foil. When you have all of the tortillas done, wrap them in the foil to keep them warm.
For toppings I use shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheddar and my extra fun addition, fresh cilantro. Of course you can add salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole depending on your taste (and what's in your frig).
By using a quality meat, taking a little time with the tortillas and using fresh toppings like cilantro, taco night is much more tasty. And, I was still finished with the meal in 30 minutes. I've also done this meal with left over pork tenderloin... Talk about wow!
Live well, eat well, enjoy...
Cyn aka Fine Mama
bowl of olive oil
Sounds like we think alike on tacos. Seems like putting them in the microwave makes the tortillas start turning rubbery during the meal while the griddling adds a whole new layer of flavor. Sometimes for a change, I buy that John Soules chicken fajita meet, thaw it, saute as suggested and then gently fry some green bell peppers and onion on the side to serve with the tacos.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely on the rubbery tortillas. I've done this with chicken fajita meat as well. Great thinkers are we!
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