Print

Middle-School Tacos

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexico, North America
Keyword Beef
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 kg beef ground
  • 2 tbsp chile powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin ground
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp paprika smoked
  • 2 tsp red-pepper flakes crushed
  • 25 cl chicken broth or beef broth
  • 16 taco shells hard

Toppings:

  • grated cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, etc

Instructions

  1. Peel and dice the onions and the garlic.
  2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the onion, and cook until softened and starting to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or so to soften, and then the ground beef. Cook until the beef is starting to brown, stirring and chopping with a spoon to break up the meat, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off excess fat, leaving only a tablespoon or two in the pan.

  4. Heat oven to 170°C.

  5. Add the chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cornstarch, paprika and red-pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Add the broth, stir, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
  6. As sauce cooks, place taco shells on a sheet pan, and toast in oven until they are crisp and smell nutty. Serve the meat and the tacos separately. Fill the tacos, as needed, with a few tablespoons of meat, along with the toppings.

Recipe Notes

Recipe proposed by Sam Sifton / New York Times https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018758-middle-school-tacos