EatMx: Real Mexican food, at home and on the road

Please Vote for My Taco Meat

Making great taco meat is so simple. It takes only 20 minutes to cook juicy, delicious beef that would draw a line at any taco stand. Dinner ready that fast? Sure. Just provide salsa and other condiments at the table. 

The secret is to start with a good base, like Del Real's Seasoned Shredded Beef. This is the product I worked with in order to enter the Del Real Foods blogger recipe challenge.

I would love to win, so please click here to vote for my Super Easy Taco Meat: http://ow.ly/zWNEO  #RealFlavor @delrealfoods. If you want to really help, vote once a day through Sept. 5.

You can get the Del Real beef in supermarkets. At first I thought it was pricey, only to find it was a good buy. When I stewed slightly more than a pound of raw beef, which took about 2 hours, I wound up with only 10 ounces of meat. Almost 7 ounces had cooked way. This made it more costly than the deceptively reasonable price, not to mention the time and effort required to prepare it.  

The Del Real beef, on the other hand, is 16 ounces of pure meat, no fat, gristle or waste of any kind. And it's fully cooked, which saves a Iot of time. The seasonings are so light that you can add any flavorings you like, which makes it very versatile.

Here's another look at my taco meat (above). The idea came from Zacatecas via a friend, Daniel Mejia. That makes it totally, traditionally Mexican, as good taco meat should be. 

SUPER EASY TACO MEAT

3 slices bacon, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise in ½-inch slices
1 medium onion, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pound roma tomatoes (about 4), chopped
1 (16-ounce) package Del Real Seasoned Shredded Beef
Salt, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
16 warm corn tortillas
4 limes, quartered
Del Real Green or Red Salsa
8 or more cilantro sprigs

In a large heavy skillet, cook the bacon until lightly browned. Do not drain.

Add the onion, garlic and cumin seeds and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.

Add the Del Real Seasoned Shredded Beef and separate the shreds, then mix evenly with the ingredients in the skillet. Simmer 10 minutes, or until hot throughout. Taste and season with salt if needed and a generous dash of freshly ground pepper.

For each taco, place a spoonful of the meat mixture on a warm corn tortilla. Squeeze on a few drops of lime juice. Add Del Real salsa to taste and a cilantro sprig. Fold and eat.

Makes 8 servings. 

Have Hatches? Then Make Mexican Beef

I walked into Pavilions the other day, and there was a bin of Hatch chiles, right at the entrance. The season is so short it was a thrill to see them, and so I bought a pound and will be back for more.

These long green chiles look like Anaheims, but they are very different--sturdy, robust and deeply flavored. And they come from only one place, the growing area around Hatch, New Mexico.

Hatch chile peel is firm. That's why you should roast and peel them before using. It's worth buying generously, because once roasted and packaged flat in plastic bags, Hatch chiles will keep in the freezer for up to two years.

What to do with them? Try this Mexican beef dish, Carne Deshebrada, or, in English, shredded meat. It's ideal for tacos or to eat with rice and a salad.

Hatch chiles come in heat levels from mild to extremely hot. Stores won't necessarily indicate the heatness levels, but this very traditional Mexican dish will be good whether the chiles are hot or mild.

CARNE DESHEBRADA
Shredded Beef

1 pound beef chuck, cut in chunks
Water
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the meat in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then drain and rinse to eliminate any scum. Wipe out the pan.

Return the beef to the pan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently, loosely covered, until the meat is tender, which can take up to 2 hours.  Add more water if necessary to keep the meat moist.  

Let the meat cool in the broth, then drain, reserving the broth. Place the meat on a plate and separate into strands by pulling apart with two forks.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender but not browned. Add the tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Add the chiles, the meat and 1/2 cup broth. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or use as taco filling or in tortas (sandwiches).

Makes 4 servings.