Recipe provide by Chef Crusco Catering in Austin, TX
Ingredients
- 2 tsps. Vegetable oil
- 1 small white onion – finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno – finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves – finely minced
- 1 pound ground chuck Beef (80 percent lean)
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 tsp. Ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp. dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. ground Cumin
- 1 tsp. coarse Salt & freshly ground Pepper
- Vegetable oil – for frying
- 20 corn tortillas
- Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce – shredded fine for serving
- Cheddar cheese – grated for serving
- 1 Package Cherry tomatoes – roughly chopped
- 2 Large Avocados – cubed
- 1 Container Sour Cream
- 1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro – for garnish
- Chef Crusco Catering’s Tomatillo Salsa – for serving
Directions
- Make the Picadillo ground beef mixture by heating the Veg oil in a large sauté pan over med-high heat. Add onion and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until just starting to turn translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add garlic and cook for a minute or two. Immediately add the beef, and cook, breaking up pieces with the back of a wooden spoon, until beef has browned (about 4 minutes). Spoon out excess fat if too much is in the pan. Season with salt/pepper, paprika, chili powder, oregano and cumin.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick and very little liquid remains. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside for further use.
- To make the tacos, heat 2 inches of veg oil in a large, deep pot until a thermometer registers 325-350 degrees. Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, by folding in half to form a half moon shell. Cook until golden and crisp, 3-4 minutes per tortilla. Once cooked, remove from oil and place the taco shell on a paper towel lined sheet pan to absorb any excess oil.
- Prior to serving, prepare your lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro.
- To serve, spoon the beef mixture into each taco shell. Garnish how you like but we suggest it with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, cheese, cilantro and Chef Crusco’s Tomatillo Salsa. Enjoy!
