Old El Paso Pork Chops

Old El Paso Pork Chops seasoned with American Taco Spice.

I always have a homemade Mexican seasoning in my pantry that I like to call American Taco Spice.

If you sprinkle two tablespoons of it on a pound of ground beef, it will taste just like meat seasoned with the spice packet found in an Old El Paso taco kit. This type of taco seasoning and the popularity of tacos from Taco Bell have become the standard "taco" flavor in the U.S., although real Mexican tacos are vastly different.

My American Taco Spice seasoning doesn't require any water and it has no preservatives. It has a fresh taste with bolder flavors than the spice packet and makes for a mighty fine American taco. The star of the show is chili powder and cumin followed by salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

I use the seasoning on any cut of meat, not just for tacos and it's especially tasty on burgers. For this recipe, I sprinkled it on bone-in pork loin chops that I grilled for lunch. (Hence the name Old El Paso Pork Chops!) Joining the chops on the plate are microwave-steamed veggies and plain white rice. It was a healthy meal for two and the seasoning was key to making it extra delicious. The whole plate takes around a half hour to make.

AMERICAN TACO SPICE
Makes 1/2 cup
Store in jar with tight lid
3 Tbs Chili Powder
3 Tbs Kosher Salt
2 Tbs Cumin
2 Tbs Fresh Cracked Black pepper
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Garlic Powder

Mix together well. Use to season individual cuts of meat or 2 tablespoons per pound of ground meat for tacos.

OLD EL PASO PORK CHOPS WITH VEGGIES AND RICE

Old El Paso Pork Chops with Veggies and Rice

Serves 2; 35 minutes
3  Bone-in Center Cut Pork Chops
2 Tbs American Taco Spice
1 Cup White Rice
12 oz (1 bag) Vegetable medley (Broccili, cauliflower and carrot)

Preheat grill to high. Season pork on both sides with American Taco Spice. (Approximately 1 teaspoon per side)

In a pot or sauce pan, stir rice in a little oil over high heat until well coated. Add 2 cups of water, boil and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low let simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat, do not remove cover. Let steam until chops and veggies are finished. Remove lid and fluff.

Place chops over direct heat on grill. Let cook 3 1/2 minutes. Flip and cook 3 1/2 minutes more or until internal temperature reaches 130° for medium. Remove from grill, let rest 10 minutes.

In a microwave steam bag, Cook vegetables on high for five minutes. Let steam an extra minute or two more once microwave shuts off. Remove from bag. Start microwave as soon as chops are removed from grill and are resting.

Place a scope of rice, some veggies and a chop on plate and serve.

COST PER SERVING
The chops were on sale: 3 weighing 1.30 lbs @ $2.99 per pound cost $3.89. The veggies were 40% off and cost $1.49 for 1 12 oz bag. The rice and seasoning were in my pantry. So the total cost of the fresh ingredients per serving was $2.68.  That's a steal for this yummolicious meal!

Eat well, cook often ...

Relay For Life Salsa

Salsa verde and Salsa Rojo

For the last couple of years I have donated my time and food to the Relay For Life cancer walk in Whitley County, Indiana. My cousin Tammy is a cancer survivor and is a big contributor and driving force behind the fundraiser. Last year, I made 25 lbs of pulled pork for the Relay's survivor dinner. It always feels great to contribute to such a good cause.

This year, when Tammy ask me if I wanted to pitch in, she told me they were making a taco bar. I knew instantly what I wanted to contribute – authentic Mexican style taco sauce! I decided to make a salsa verde as well as a salsa roja and I wanted to charcoal grill the vegetables to add further depth to what I think is mandatory for a great taco - GREAT TACO SAUCE!

The night before, I bought the fresh vegetables and took them to the family campground where I crashed for the night. In the morning I woke up, brewed some coffee and fired up the charcoal. I grilled the vegetables and blended everything down in two batches making a quart of each type of salsa - plus a little extra for my own tacos later that night.

Fresh off the grill

I decided to go mild with these batches. I love hot salsa, but I have found the majority of people at large dinner events prefer mild to no spice. It almost disappoints me that so many people are afraid of the heat, but I accept it and make the adjustment when cooking for crowds.

I was really happy with how this salsa turned out, the smoky grill added an extra element of flavor to the salsas and the final product had a smooth and silky consistency. One thing I have been doing the last few times I have made taco sauce is letting it liquify in the blender for a good amount of time. I pulse it at first, then turn it to high and let it go for 5 or 6 minutes, I also add a little water to thin it out, which really makes it nice and easy to spoon onto the tacos!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPES
Salsa roja
4 medium Tomatoes, quartered
4 medium Onion, quatered
6 cloves Garlic
2 Jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
4 Ancho chilis, toasted
1/2 C Cilantro
2 Limes, zest and juice
2 Tbs honey
Water as needed

Salsa verde
10 tomatillos halved
4 medium Onion, quartered
6 cloves Garlic
2 Jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
1/2 C Cilantro
2 Limes, zest and juice
2 Tbs honey
Water as needed

Toss vegetables in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until wilted and cooked soft. 8 to 10 minutes, rotating and moving around as needed. Put grilled vegetables in blender along with all other ingredients and blend until liquified, 5 to 6 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Five Pepper Shrimp Tacos

Printable version

This is the second recipe on the blog that features the Smoky Five Pepper spice mix. This time I used it more like a seasoning rather than a rub. Being more judicious made it much more manageable as for as the heat goes. It adds a nice kick to the taco that is balanced by the pickled cabbage and a lime jalapeno tarter sauce.

I made it a point to keep each element simple. When it all came together I was impressed by the flavor and enjoyed 4 of these tacos myself. Later that night when I was putting together the graphic layout of the recipe I realized that all of these simple elements put together make for a pretty complex taco.

In the end, there are 17 different ingredients at work here.

That kind of blew me away, especially since I was making an effort to keep everything simple. It’s the accumulation of a few simple elements that makes this a pretty complex bite. I hope the simplicity comes through in the presentation, because if you’re just looking at the list of ingredients there is no way anyone would call it simple. That said - it's one of the best tacos I've eaten in a long time – a must try for any taco aficionado.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I have wined and complained numerous times on this blog about the seafood situation in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It’s hard to get any kind of consistent quality and most of the time it has been a "fishy" situation to say the least. I still think it sucks, but I have discovered one item that has shown some promise.

Frozen raw medium shrimp, deveined with no shell and tail removed.

Yes, the smaller frozen shrimp has a glimmer of hope. The colossal shrimp has been an expensive disaster, which you can read about here, But the variety that comes in the 50 to 60 a pound size has given me a glimmer of hope. The shrimp used in this recipe thawed easy, had no odor and tasted like shrimp should taste when cooked properly. It’s the first time in a long time that I have been impressed with the quality of seafood here in the land-locked Midwest.

It could be just a lucky grab off the shelf or maybe I have discovered a quality product. It will take a couple more samples but I actually have some hope for consistently good seafood. I’m crossing my fingers.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 8 to 10 tacos; 45 minutes
THE RUB
3 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Smoked paprika
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
1 Tbs Black pepper
1 Tbs White pepper
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

DRESSING
2 C Cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 C Cider vinegar
1/4 C Sugar

SAUCE
1/2 C Mayonnaise
1/4 C Lime juice
1/4 C Pickled jalapeño, diced
2 Tbs Cilantro, minced

FOR THE TACO
1 lb Raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed
16 to 20 Corn tortillas
Cilantro for garnish

Make rub
Mix together salt, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Prep cabbage, make sauce
Mix together cabbage, vinegar and sugar, let mixture rest at least a half an hour before using. In another bowl mix together mayo, lime juice, jalapeno and cilantro refrigerate until ready to use.

Season, cook shrimp
Season both sides of shrimp’ let marinate 20 minutes. In a fry pan over medium high heat cook shrimp in batches in a little olive oil, 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque. Turn once during cooking.

Prepare tortillas, assemble tacos
Wrap tortillas in paper towel and heat on high in microwave for 1 minute. On two tortillas place 7 or 8 shrimp, drizzle with sauce, dress with cabbage and garnish with cilantro, then serve.

Five Pepper Steak Tacos

Printable version

I was reading about Creole and Caribbean cooking recently which inspired me to invent a peppery rub. I went to my pantry and was able to find a number of different pepper spices. I chose five, with two of them smoked. I use white pepper, cayenne pepper and black pepper to cover different areas of the tongue and chipotle and smoked paprika to provide the smoky flavoring. (Paprika is made from dried red pepper, hence the fifth pepper of the rub.) I add onion and garlic powder for depth and salt because, well, everything needs salt.

The end result is a spicy rub that I would label XXX on a store shelf. This rub is hot and when it’s used in a dish there should be something else on the plate to balance it. In my world, mild spice is most people’s hell fire, so when I say hot, please beware.

I use a sweet pineapple salsa to balance the heat of the rub. The salsa contains red pepper to compliment the paprika. The pepper could also be roasted to bring out more sweetness if so desired.

Overall, I really enjoyed this taco, it's not for the faint of heart and it is made for a spice lover like myself.

BEHIND THIS BITE
When I made this rub I knew it would be hot but I was surprised at how hot it actually was. I think this could be one of the dry rubs at Buffalo Wild Wings or a secret weapon for extra kick in a pot of chili.

I was planning this as two posts, but the rub was so hot that I was kind of obligated to include a tasty balance to the heat, so I decided to combine everything which culminated in a delicious taco and one of the biggest recipe graphics I have ever made. The step-by-step graphic contains 23 photographs, 6 major steps and 16 ingredients. That’s way bigger than what I usually do but I think it's necessary. If you like fiery food, this is the recipe for you, but if spice isn’t your thing - Use this rub as a substitute.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 12 to 15 tacos; 1 hour
THE RUB
3 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Smoked paprika
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
1 Tbs Black pepper
1 Tbs White pepper
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 1/2 lb Skirt steak

THE SALSA
1 1/2 C Tomato diced
1 C Pineapple diced
1 C Red pepper diced
1/2 C Red onion diced
1/2 C Cilantro chopped
Juice from 1 Lime

12 to 15 Flour tortillas

Make rub
In a bowl mix together salt, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Season, marinate steak
Season and rub spice mixture over surface of skirt steak. Let steak rest for 25 minutes to marinate in spices.

Make Salsa
In a bowl mix together tomato, pineapple, red pepper, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Refrigerate and let mixture rest at least 30 minutes for flavors to meld.

Grill steak
On a prepared grill over medium-high heat cook meat for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare, turning once during cooking. Let rest at least ten minutes before slicing.

Prepare tortillas
Toast tortillas on grill or microwave on high, wrapped in paper towel for 1 minute.

Assemble tacos
On tortillas place steak and a spoonful of salsa, roll and serve.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Printable version

A few years back I tried an enchilada recipe and it called for chicken seasoned with a chili powder-cumin mix. After tasting the results store-bought taco seasoning became a thing of the past. This recipe is a little more complex than the original enchilada spice mix, but it’s not just for making taco meat, it can also be used on steak, chicken or any other protein as a flavorful rub.

For an even simpler mixture with the same resulting flavor as meat seasoned with an Old El Paso or Ortega taco seasoning packet, eliminate everything except the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. By making the seasoning at home, all the preservatives and crazy junk that manufactures put in their mixes is eliminated and the cook, not the company, controls the amount of sodium. It is also much cheaper in the long run to have a stocked pantry with the correct spices available rather than buying a packet every time taco flavoring is desired.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Two years ago, I did a test with packets of taco seasoning and found that a 2.5 oz, bottle of chili powder and a 2 oz. bottle of cumin could make the equivalent of 13 packets of taco seasoning creating around $5 worth of savings.

The last time I had taco seasoned with a packet was a taco salad at a small gathering. I was amazed at how salty and over seasoned the meat was. The packets are cheap, between 50¢ and 75¢, so many Americans just grab them without thinking.

Well, I have thought about it, and for all the artery-clogging, saddle-bag creating meals I cook, I have a better-for-your-health tip: Make taco seasoning with chili powder and cumin. (1 Tbs chili powder and 2 tsp cumin per pound) It tastes better, you control the salt and it's cheaper in the long-run. That is all.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 1/2 C
3 Tbs Chili powder
2 Tbs Cumin
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Pepper
1 Tbs Garlic powder
1 Tbs Onion powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano

Mix, store
In a bowl mix together Chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano. Place in an airtight container and store away from light.

Homemade Mexican Hot Sauce

Printable version

This recipe starts with onion, garlic and four jalapenos. The peppers are kept whole with ribs and seeds for that extra fire that they provide. I simply chopped each jalapeno into five or six slices and tossed it in the pot. Once the base has cooked a few minutes and starts to soften up I add the tomatoes and chiles.

I had never worked with the Pasilla de Oaxaca chile, it’s smoked and ads a meaty bacon or ham-type of flavor. I think it would be ideal for vegetarians to use to simulate a bacon flavor in soup - As long as they can stands the heat.

After the chiles have toasted and the tomatoes start to surrender some of their liquid I add the chicken broth. It's all brought to a simmer and let go for at least a half an hour – or until it has reduced some.

Before transferring it to a blender, I took it off the heat for a while just to let it cool – I think it is a bit easier to work with when it’s not as hot. The mix is blended for a minute or two, just long enough so that everything is liquefied into a smooth and silky sauce. That's all it takes - now it's time to slather it on your favorite type of taco!

BEHIND THIS BITE
I actually made much more than what I thought I would be making for this batch - about 2 quarts - which is enough for about six thousand tacos. All I needed was enough for 12. I ended up giving a couple of bottles away.

I decided to make this hot sauce to get rid of some dried chiles I had left in the pantry. About a year ago Greg Patterson form the online spice store SpicesInc.com sent me a number dried chili samples to try. I had used most of them but had a few left so I decided to use them for a taco sauce. I am going get more of the Pasilla de Oaxaca chile in the future. It has a smoky flavor like a chipotle but it also has a meaty quality to it as well. As I mention in the introduction, it would be a good chili for vegetarians to use.

I thought that four jalapenos would really add some fire to this sauce but to my surprise, it was rather mild for my taste. But then again, my mild is another man’s hellfire - as most of my relatives would say.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 2 Quarts; 1 hour
1 1/2 C Red onion, chopped
4 Jalapeño, chopped
5 cloves Garlic, whole
3 C Tomatoes, chopped
1 oz Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles, dried, seeded
2 oz Ancho chiles, dried, seeded
3 C Chicken broth

Cook vegetables
In a soup pot over medium heat sauté onion and jalapeno in a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until soft 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic cook until fragrant, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chiles, broth; simmer, blend
Add tomatoes and chiles, cook until tomatoes release some of their juice, 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally. Add chicken broth bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes break down and liquid reduces by a third. Remove from heat let mixture cool for an hour then blend until smooth.

Shrimp, Crab or Tuna Salad

Printable version

These salads are relatively inexpensive because the meat is processed. The flavor and freshness would multiply by a thousands if you purchased and cooked all of this meat yourself, but it would cost a ton of money and time, and if I had fresh tuna or crab – there is no way it’s going into a salad!

These are affordable options for a practical lunch or an afternoon picnic in the park. They come together quick and can be transported easily and assembled at the location.

BEHIND THIS BITE
On the Food Network, or television cooking in general, they almost never use a processed item like canned tuna. They would grill a tuna steak then cut it up and put it in the salad. Not a single person I know would do that for a tuna salad sandwich. Canned tuna is cheap and it tastes good enough for a delightful lunch.

Would I serve canned tuna at a wedding? Hell no.

This is realistic everyday cooking and a true 30 minute meal. I love food television, it has inspired and taught me countless things I am grateful for. (Jacques Pepin is on the tube right now in my office as I write this) But, it is geared to people with money and time to burn. It would be awesome to see Bobby Flay turn something like a Tyson breaded chicken breast into a quick and easy dinner with his gourmet touch, or watch Rachel Ray make a 30-minute meal that can actually be made in thirty minutes outside of a scripted television taping.

Do I want them to do this with every recipe? No.

But it would be nice to see them get creative with more processed or freezer isle items because that is how the majority of us cook when we need to get food in our bellies. As creative as they are in the kitchen it would be cool to see what they did with items like that. I would love to buy all fresh food and organic meat but my money goes much further when I mix it up.

If I had an unlimited budget this post would be a lobster roll – Made from live lobster that I caught in the ocean, boiled up on the beach and ate until my stomach hurt. I would make the lobster salad the next day with the leftovers. Maybe one day. For now I’m just gonna keep cooking and eating.

Eat well, cook often ...