Fish Tacos (Tilapia)

I inhaled six of these like a wale feeding on plankton.

They were the small "street taco" size corn tortillas from Mission. Which helped them go down fast! Dinner on Friday is an event if I'm not going out on the town - and that is just what these are. There are three special elements to make for these and to add to the drama, I fried the tortillas in a 1/4 inch of oil just to take the meal completely over the top.

This is the first time I have used almond flour. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad. Instead of a light crispy breading like AP flour would create, the almond flour created more of a "blackened" style crust when mixed with the other spices. The gluten-flour-to-fat reaction just isn't the same as the ground-nut-to-fat reaction and the result was different and unexpected — And totally delicious.

Eat well, cook often ...


THE RECIPE
Jalepeño tarter sauce
1/4 Mayo
2 Tbs Pickled jalapeño, diced
1 Tbs Chipotle in adobo, minced

Mix ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate until assembling tacos

Jalapeño slaw
1 C Cabbage, shredded
1 Jalepeño, thin sliced
2 Tbs Apple cider vinegar

Toss cabbage and jalapeño in cider vinegar, set aside until assembling tacos


Tilapia
4 Tilapia fillets
1/4 C Almond flour
2Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

Mix together almond flour and spices, spread on a plate. Dredge fillets in mixture, coating both side thoroughly. In a skillet over medium heat shallow fry fillets in enough oil to completely coat bottom of pan. 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Gently turn half way through. Let rest a few minutes before assembling tacos.

Tacos
12 tortillas
Tilapia
Jalapeño tarter sauce
Jalapeño slaw
Cilantro for garnish

Light fry tortillas in a 1/4 inch of oil at 350°. Drain on paper towels. Flake fish apart into bite-size chunks. On a tortilla, stack fish, slaw and sauce then garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Shrimp Tacos with Chipolte Ranch Sauce

I'm not the biggest seafood fan in the world. In general, I like it best when the "fish" flavor is mild and it's breaded and fried.

Shrimp is a different story. As long as it's ultra fresh, I like it prepared almost any way.

For these tacos, I sauted the shrimp in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. That's it. The key was cooking them so they were firm but tender and burst in your mouth when bit into - that is the perfect texture for tacos!

The real flavor and seasoning for this dish is the chipolte ranch sauce that I made from scratch. I was heavy with the chipotle for it because I wanted it extra smoky with some good kick. The creamy base can really tame the kick, so more chipotle in adobo is required for extra zing.

I used corn tortillas which is not low carb, but I'm not really on a low-carb diet  — I'm just paying attention to my carb intake and trying to keep it as low as possible without being miserable. I'm not ready to throw away my corn tortillas. I'll limit my french-fry intake, but corn tortillas are off limits for now!

Honestly - I destroyed these tacos.

The bursting shrimp with the chipotle ranch sauce was mouth-watering. The onion and cilantro garnish added a real freshness to the bite. All of this wrapped in a lightly-fried corn tortilla made for some of the best homemade tacos I've had in a long time.

Try this if you are a shrimp taco fan.

Eat well, cook often ...

Chipotle Ranch Sauce
1 clove garlic
3/4 C sour cream
3/4 cup mayo
1 C buttermilk
1 pkg Ranch seasoning mix
1/4 C chipolte in adobo, minced

— With blade of a blender running, drop garlic clove in to mince. Add all other ingredients and blend 3 or 4 minutes. Stop blender and scrap down sides if needed during process. Pour into container and refrigerate 1 hour berfore serving.


Sauted Shrimp
1 lb of large raw shrimp, deveined, shell and tail removed

— In a little olive oil over medium high heat saute shrimp 1 min. to 1 min, 30 sec. per side or until just cooked through and translucent. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tacos
8 corn tortillas, street taco size
Sauted shirmp
Chipotle sauce
Finely diced onion and cilantro for garnish

— Cook tortillas through (microwave, griddle or lightly fry at 350°)


— Assemble tacos - layer shrimp, sauce, onion and cilantro — then devour!

Makes 8 street tacos, Serves 2

Note: The corn tortillas here are 19g of carbs for a serving of three.
(They are the small "Street Taco" tortillas made by Mission, that come made with either flour or corn)

Friday Night, Taco Night

Fresh corn tortilla, steak, cilantro and onion with chipotle ranch sauce.

Friday dinner is reserved for tacos.

When I first moved to Austin I set aside Friday nights to hit new taco joints in search of the ultimate taco. I didn't find the ultimate, but I did find the elements to creating one. I'm still searching and creating on my own for that perfect bite, but here is what I learned so far:

Fresh made tortillas are a must!

The protein or meat element must be perfectly cooked and if its seasoned, the seasoning must compliment the sauce.

I'm partial to limited garnish: just a little cilantro and onion go along way. Lettuce, tomato and maybe a little cheese are good, but also in limited quantities and I reserve the latter for just crunchy style tacos. For me it about the tortilla, meat and sauce ...

THE SAUCE -  it makes the taco! Different sauces make for entirely different meals. Mixing and matching the right sauce with the perfect protein is the secret to a great taco experience.

As I write this I can feel the slight burn of the chipotle ranch sauce that adorns the steak taco above. It helped this simple treat become a savory, smoky bite. Its creaminess meshed perfectly with warm tortilla - which I can still feel the masa in the ridges of my finger prints from making them fresh. Call me crazy - but I love that feeling!

The ultimate taco? No. But, a tasty treat indeed.

Eat, well cook often ...

Find the recipe for the chipolte ranch sauce here.

Carnitas and Chipotle Salsa

Carnitas with Chipotle salsa

I had never made carnitas.

Now, I'll make them all the time! Cooking pork in a citrus liquid made for sensational grub.

While the carnitas were cooking I kept sticking my nose over the pot and letting my sense of smell drink in the flavors. It was hard waiting for the pot to finish, but it was totally worth it. The citrus didn't overpower, it added a sweet balance to the savory pork and other seasonings in the dish.

From the batch of carnitas I made four servings — tacos twice and two burritos for myself.

I harvested the pork shoulder chunks from a bone-in shoulder I picked up on special at the grocery store. I didn't realize it was bone-in until I was ready to start cooking. I wasn't quite sure how to attack it so I went to youtube and watched a video on how to de-bone a pork shoulder. It worked like a charm and I didn't waste hardly any meat.

To go along with the carnitas I made a spicy chipotle salsa. I knew I would be eating most of it myself over the next week, so I made it hot, probably way to hot for most people, but I like really bold salsa for my tacos. Removing the seeds and flesh from the jalapeno and chipotle peppers can reduce the heat significantly if a milder sauce is desired.

The carnitas and salsa were an evening project on a day off. At one point, I had both pots on the stove simmering away, releasing magical aromas that turned my kitchen air into a yummy potpourri. As I inhaled the stove-top perfume I felt the zen of culinary bliss take over my mind — which made for a great evening of relaxing and eating at home.

Cooking and creating the food that keeps us alive can be a true pleasure, these dishes were exactly that for me.

Eat, well cook often ...

CARNITAS
Serves 4 to 6, 3 hours, 30 minutes
3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs oregano
1 bay leaf
2 oranges, zest and juice
3/4 C pineapple juice
2 C water

In a large pot, over medium-high heat brown pork in a little oil or lard on all sides. Work in batches if necessary, season to taste. Remove pork and add onion, cook until soft 4 to 6 minutes, season to taste. Add garlic, oregano and bay leaf, cook 1 minutes more or until fragrant. Return pork to pan and zest and juice from oranges, pineapple juice and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer 2 hours. Remove lid and cook liquid out, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Monitor closely toward the end. Remove from pot and serve. For Tacos I served carnitas with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro and salsa (recipe follows).

CHIPOTLE SALSA
Makes 2 cups, 1 hour, 30 minutes
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
3/4 C pineapple juice
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 can chipotle in adobo sauce
1 C water
1 handful cilantro
2 limes, juice and zest

In a soup pot over medium heat, saute onion and jalapeno in a little oil until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Add oregano and garlic, cook until fragrant or a another minute or two.  Add pineapple juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chipotles in adobo sauce and water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for an hour or until liquid has reduced by 3/4ths. Let mixture cool for a bit then pour in blender add cilantro, zest and juice of lime. Blend until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.

Taco Seasoned Ground Beef

I purchased a 3-pound family sized package of ground beef and divided it for a couple of different meals. One half became cheesy verde burgers and the other half I turned into taco meat! Cooked ground beef seasoned for tacos can become an element of several meals like nachos, taco salad or even pizza. Its not limited to just tacos.

For a person cooking for themselves or cooking ahead for a family member, seasoned taco meat is absolutely perfect. It stores well and can be frozen. When I was in college my mom would make 5 pound batches of taco meat for me to store in the freezer. I might have ran out of money for beer on a regular basis, but I always had meat for a plate of nachos.

The hardest thing about eating leftovers is having the same meal on consecutive days. With taco meat you can change up all the things surrounding it and give the leftovers a nice variety.

For this batch of taco seasoned beef, I made crunchy tacos the first day and a hearty plate of nachos a couple days later. (I have one serving left that I put away in the freezer)

For the seasoning I use my homemade American Taco Spice. It's versatile and can be used to season any cut of meat for grilling (like Pork Chops) but its main purpose is to be a cheaper, fresh and more flavorful replacement of the store bought taco seasoning packets that are loaded with sodium and preservatives.

Out of a 3 pound package of ground chuck intended for a family, I was able to make 4 burgers and 3 serving of seasoned meat for tacos and nachos. That's making the cheaper bulk packages work for the single cook, which can be difficult, because it seems everything at the grocery stores is packaged and sold to feed a herd.

Eat well, cook often ...

TACO SEASONED GROUND BEEF
1.5 lbs ground chuck (80/20)
2 Tbs American Taco Spice

In a skillet over medium-high heat crumbled ground beef, mix in taco spice and cook until browned and cook through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve or let cool, place in a freezer bag and store for later use.

AMERICAN TACO SPICE
3 Tbs chili powder
3 Tbs kosher salt
2 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs pepper
1 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs garlic powder

Mix together, store in a tightly sealed jar.

FOR CRUNCHY TACOS
Taco seasoned ground beef
8 to 10 crunchy taco shells
1 C shredded cheese
1 tomato diced
1/2 onion, diced
Cilantro or lettuce
Taco sauce

Warm shells in microwave or oven for a crunchier bite. Stuff shells with meat and toppings. Grub!

FOR NACHOS
Taco seasoned ground beef
Tortilla chips, enough to cover dinner plate
1 C shredded cheese
diced tomato and onion
sour cream
salsa or taco sauce

Spread chips on plate. Top with meat and cheese, Heat on high in 45 second intervals with a minute rest between until cheese is melted. Top with tomato, onion, sour cream and salsa.

Crunchy American Tacos

Printable version

Since I was a young boy my favorite food has been tacos. I would go crazy when I saw that boxed taco kit sitting on the counter as Mom began to prepare dinner. I would gorge myself on them – most kids experience binge eating for the first time with sweets – not me, my first binges were crunchy tacos and fried shrimp!

My taco pallete has been refined over the years but I still have a soft spot for crunchy tacos prepared the “American” way.

Most U.S born eaters know tacos as having a crunchy shell, seasoned meat and garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and a taco sauce. The main flavor is contained in the meat. While this kind of taco is delicious, it is far from authentic.

I first learned this taco lesson from the manager at LaBambas, while attending Ball State University. I literally ate there everyday and I think he felt obligated to share some secrets of Mexican cooking with me. Much like a parent would with a child that they are feeding on a daily basis. He told me that authentic Mexican taco’s signature flavor comes from the salsa that it’s garnished with. I came to love this type of taco over the years and have to admit that making a rock star sauce for simple soft corn tortilla tacos is my favorite thing to do in the kitchen.

But today, it is about those boyhood taco feasts my mom used to serve up.

My American taco starts with a crunchy blue corn tortilla which in this case, is a little lighter than the yellow corn tortillas found in kits at most supper markets. For the seasoned meat, I skip the traditional packets found at the store and make a homemade meat mixture complete with a flavorful and fresh mirepoix and a tasty seasoning mix of my own.

When it was all said and done I binged on these like I did as 12 year-old – and it didn’t take long to inhale half the batch!

BEHIND THIS BITE

Crunchy American Tacos

As 2015 begins I can’t help but think about the year that has just passed. It has been a year of great change for me, with my move to the Chicago area – something I never imagined myself doing even six months ago. I haven’t blogged as much since my move, much of that has to do to with the transition of settling into a new place and finding the right kind of time to produce these post. My motivation seems to be more toward creating a kick-ass living space with everything custom built rather than custom built recipe-blog posts.

There is a great irony here though.

I haven’t produced as many post since starting my new job, but I have been cooking far more than I was before I started it. I’m still documenting my creations, I have just found it hard to put in the time that it takes to created a recipe infographic. In my free time, I’m still opting to work on a building project rather than tinker on my computer. Soon though, I will run out of major construction and will inevitably turn my attention here again. I already have a back-log of several creations that I have documented since I have had my photography studio up and running.

I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings, with my cooking, new job and new place to live. I feel as though this new adventure is really starting to take off and I hope to be blessed with the things necessary to keep it moving forward.

Happy New Year.

Eat well, cook often ...


THE RECIPE

Crunchy American Tacos

Serves 4; 30 minutes
1 lb Ground chicken
1/2 C Onion diced
1/2 C Poblano pepper diced
1 Tbs Chili powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp Garlic minced
12 Crunchy blue corn tortillas
1 C Lettuce shredded
1/2 C Taco sauce

Brown chicken
In a skillet over medium high heat sear chicken until just cooked through in a little oil. 7 to 8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Saute and toast
Add onions and poblano pepper to skillet, season with salt and pepper, chili podwer, cumin and mexican oragano. Let mixture cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook one minute more or until fragrant.

Finish
Return chickech to skillet and mix in thouroughly, cook until heated through. Take meat mixture and spoon into crunchy blue corn tortillas, top with cheese, lettuce and taco sauce, then serve.

Habanero Tomato Salsa

Printable version

My favorite thing to eat is tacos. I specialize in them. So much so, that people sometimes pay me to create a taco bar for their event or occasion. The secret to a great taco is not the meat, tortillas or toppings. The secret is in the sauce, where heat from a hot pepper, tartness of a lime, or a limitless number of ingredients can be used to create a flavor explosion that defines the taste of the taco.

When putting out sauces for a taco bar I always include a couple of the mild variety, for the none heat-loving people, and a couple of spicy offerings for those who can handle the fire.

For this recipe, I make a habanero hot sauce for heat lovers. I’ve been working on it for sometime, because it’s easy when using habanero peppers to make sauce so hot that it literally creates pain and misery. Here I use the acid of tomato, the citrus of lime and the sweetness of honey to balance the habanero inferno. The sauce is hot, but hot in an addictive way, that’s sure to create future cravings.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Habanero Tomato Salsa

I made tacos for a gathering at the church recently and put out a sauce that I thought was really hot. Earlier in the day when I made and sampled it out of the blender, it was lip numbing and set my mouth on fire. In the 4 hours between that taste and actually serving it, the lime and sugar really went to work on the heat and as the flavors melded together, completely neutralized it. I was telling people to watch out because it was hot. After a while a friend of mine came over and said “I thought this sauce was supposed to be hot?”

I then went and sampled it.

I was astonished that the heat had disappeared, and a little embarrassed because I was really talking the sauce up. Since then, everyone who tried the sauce has given me a hard time about it. That’s the inspiration behind this sauce. I could make a hot sauce so hot it would be inedible, but I wanted to make something that packs a whollop but can be eaten on two or three tacos at dinner, so there needed to be some restraint to the fire. This sauce does that.

I recommend using only one habanero the first time if a person is just experimenting, but for a hot sauce lover two habanero is the way to go. Make sure you have tissue around when you try this – it will make your nose run!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Habanero Tomato Salsa

Makes 1 quart; 40 minutes
3 medium Tomatoes quartered
1 large Red onion quartered
4 cloves Garlic
2 Habanero peppers
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 C Cilantro chopped
2 Tbs Honey
1 Lime zest and juice
Water to create desired consistency of sauce

Roast vegetables
Preheat oven to 425°
Season onion, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno and habanero with salt and pepper to taste, toss in olive oil. Place in a roasting dish and cook until tomatoes wilt and black bits appear on edges of onions and peppers, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Blend
In a blender add roasted vegetables, cilantro, zest and juice of lime, honey and a little water if necessary. Blend mixture until smooth, 5 to 6 minutes. Pulse and stir occasionally to break up any chunks.

Rest, test and serve
Let salsa rest for at least one hour for flavors to meld. Taste, if to hot add more honey if necessary. Serve on tacos, or eat with tortilla chips.

Tacos For 125: Meal Overview

I was completely excited about making the food for this party as soon as I was asked to do it and was told "do whatever you think will work for 100 to 150 people."

Tacos, Mexican fiesta, sauces, nachos, chili - That was my first thought and the party hosts were totally cool with it.

Game on.

Close family friend, Joannie Schnellbach asked me to make the food for a party in honor of her daughter's recent marriage. The bride, Brittany and love of her life, Kevin Bewely tied the knot a few weeks before in a small private ceremony. They wanted to throw a big party for all the friends and family that would have attended a more public and larger wedding celebration. The shindig was going to be held at our family camp ground, so it was home turf to me.

A taco bar is a simple way to feed a lot of people, all of the ingredients can be mixed and matched. A simple taco or a hardy plate of nachos can be made from all the different ingredients. To take the taco bar concept into the gourmet realm I made a series of hot and mild sauces, a ranch-buttermilk based finishing sauce and the meats featured a special marinade and seasoning. For the kids, it was decided to have a small hot dog bar off to the side of the Taco fiesta.

When planning for a meal in general, a good ball park figure is 4 oz portions of meat per person. That is a lot of meat for a soft taco to hold, so I figured that for each person to get 4 oz of meat they would probably need at least two tacos. There were roughly 125 rsvps, Joannie told me to plan for 150, just to be on the safe side. Roughly 40 pounds of meat would be needed to make an estimated 300 tacos.

We decided to only put out small plates and little ballpark-style boats for nachos. This forced people to eat one or two tacos or a modest plate of nachos at a time. It was a little cruel to do it that way but if you give people a big plate, they will fill it – normal people in front of a giant spreads of food will pile food on plates as if they were Spartans prepping for battle. In my experience catering dinners and receptions I have become disgusted by what people do when an unlimited amount of food is set before them. Some people really just eat like hogs when given the chance. Others just pile it on a plate and throw half of it away.

If they were gonna eat like heathens at our fiesta, they were gonna have to do it with multiple trips.

The plan worked. People ate their fill, but there were no plates half full of food tossed in the dumpster.

The tomatoes for the sauces and taco garnishes were fresh from the garden. The party was Sept. 28, right in time for everyone to be bringing in their final harvests before tilling the garden under. I had a full 5-gallon bucket of tomatoes just for sauces and fresh salsa, with another bucket fresh picked before the party for garnish and an impromptu bowl of pico de gallo.

All the shopping for the Saturday party was done the Wednesday before. The sauces were made Thursday, the meat and chili on Friday. All of the little taco and nacho garnishes were done Saturday morning. Being able to do the sauces and meat ahead of time allowed for a really relaxed catering job, there were no moments where I felt I was in the weeds and the prep couldn't have went any better than it did.

THE MEAT
Recipe for the meats

THE SAUCES
Ancho chili sauce
Guajillo chili sauce
Salsa verde
Ranch tomatillo dressing

THE PARTY
The biggest surprise was the amount of people who opted for a plate of nachos rather than soft tacos. They covered the chips with all the gourmet meats and sauces like they would have a taco, many just opted for tortilla chips to deliver the goods.

Another huge surprise was raw onion. I could not keep the container full, I diced at least 10 large red onions before and during the party. When it comes to a taco bar make sure you give them onions!

Another unexpected dilemma was the nacho cheese sauce. We purchased a large gallon container of it and I thought it would be nice for the nacho chips but it was really intended for the hot dog bar put out for the kids. But, like the onions, I couldn't put enough out. People were drowning plates of nachos with the stuff, there was a group of teenage boys that should have just grabbed pint glasses of it and drank it because that would have been more practical than the runny mess they made at the counter. So, if you put nacho cheese on a taco bar, PLAN TO HAVE AS MUCH NACHO CHEESE AS YOU DO MEAT! It was the first and only item that I ran completely out of.

The party had three main waves of eating, and there were people snacking at all times. The first big wave was right when the party started at 2 p.m. and it was mostly the bride and groom's family. The second wave was around 5 or 6 and was a mix of family and a younger crowd of friends that were there to party. The third wave was later that night when all of the party people got the munchies. The late night run got crazy with people using the chili as taco filling. (Which was pretty tasty I must say.)

In the end, small portions of meat were left, a few soft tacos and a half bag nachos. The mild sauces ran out, but I had a lot of the spicier salsa left over. There was just a small amount of chili left and a few dogs. If I had to do it again I would do it exactly the same way, except I would probably make more mild sauce than hot and I would have purchased 2 gallons of Nacho cheese instead of 1.

It was a complete success.

FYI - Desert and cake was provided by the Mother and drinks were BYOB ... 


THE LIST
My grocery list that became the meal:
300 tortillas
30 lbs chicken
1 gallon margarita mix
30 lbs ground beef
2 Cups  Chili powder
1 Cup Cumin
5 lbs tomatillos
15 pounds tomatoes
30 red onions
30 to 40 jalapeños
3 lbs green peppers
20 limes
10 bunches of cilantro
Half gallon buttermilk
Jar of mayo
2 packets of ranch seasoning mix
1 Bag each of dried ancho and gaujillo chilis
10 heads of garlic
5 heads of lettuce
5 lbs shredded cheddar cheese
150 oz of tortilla chips (6 25 oz bags)
1 gallon of salsa for chips
60 hot dogs
60 hot dog buns
1 gallon Hot dog chili sauce
1 gallon nacho cheese
2 30 oz can refried beans
5 cans black beans
5 cans corn
4 32 oz boxes beef broth

What it makes
300 Tacos - meat, garnishes, sauces
10 quarts of Southwestern Black bean and corn chili
60 hot dogs - chili or nacho cheese
Chips and salsa, or a plate of nachos for 125 people

This party was a total success, it seemed as though there was enough variety that everyone was able to build the taco or nacho plate that they wanted. Cant wait to do it again.

Eat well, cook often ...

Tacos for 125: The Meat

Margarita chicken taco

When I originally started to plan this meal I was gunning for lime-garlic chicken and a flank steak preparation of some kind. As I got to pricing it out I quickly realized that I would need to replace the flank steak with ground beef because the steak would have eaten up to much of my limited budget. By switching to ground beef, not only would I have a beef taco but I could also make a 5 gallon pot of southwestern style chili.

During my search for a large container of lime juice for the chicken I wasn’t having any luck with finding a gallon size offering on the shelf. I did stumble upon half gallon containers of margarita mix though. I took a look at the ingredients and I realized it had what I needed as for as citric acid to be a good marinade for the chicken. I switched on the fly and bought a gallon of regular margarita mix for marinade.

I bought 30 pounds of chicken breast and 30 pounds of ground beef. 20 pounds each for tacos. The margarita mix was actually a great marinade that I plan on using again, it provided the yummy lemon-lime flavor with a bit of sweet. I seasoned the ground beef for tacos with a simple chili powder-cumin mix that provides all the great flavors of those store-bought taco seasoning packets without all the extra sodium.

After the meat for the tacos and southwestern chili was made I had 10 pounds of emergency chicken left that we never had to use. The plan was to see how things were going and cook it on the fly if necessary but we never had to break it out.

All of the meat was made the day before, refrigerated and then heated to temperature for service before the party. I stored everything in 5 pound bags which I brought out of the refrigerator and warmed up as needed throughout the party. It worked better than I had even planned and I would do this exactly the same way if I had to do it again.

MORE POSTS RELATED TO THIS MEAL
Salsa Verde
Gaujillo Sauce
Ancho Sauce
Meal Overview

THE RECIPES

Ground beef taco

MARGARITA CHICKEN
Makes 20 pounds; 3 to 4 hours
20 lbs Chicken breast
1 gallon Margarita mix

Marinate, grill chicken
In a large kitchen bucket soak chicken in margarita mix for two hours. Half an hour before removing chicken, prepare charcoal grill. Remove chicken from mix shaking of excess liquid. Season chicken with salt and pepper then grill in batches. Cook chicken until cooked through. 6 to 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 165°.

Dice, serve
Let chicken rest and cool slightly, then dice into small chunks. Put chicken in a warmer for service. If making a day ahead, store in gallon sized bags and  refrigerate until 1 hour before service time then re-heat for serving.

TACO SEASONED GROUND BEEF
Makes 20 pounds; 1 hour
20 lbs Ground beef (5 lb batches)
1 C Chili powder (1/4 C per batch)
3/4 C Cumin (3 Tbs per batch)
Salt and Pepper (Approximately 3 Tbs salt and 2 Tbs pepper per batch)

Cook, season beef
In a large pot over medium high heat cook ground beef in 5 pound batches until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per batch. Stirring occasionally, breaking up any chunks. Season with salt and pepper at the start. Half way through cooking add chili powder and cumin. Once finished remove to a large vessel and serve. If making a day ahead, let cool and store in gallon zip lock bags, refrigerate until an hour before service then reheat for serving.

Tacos for 125: Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde

I knew I would have a variety of red sauces for the party so I wanted to make a green sauce, or a salsa verde to go with them. The base of this sauce is similar to the red sauces, the major difference is tomatillos replace the chilis and tomatoes. (Hence, the green color.)

The first batch of this sauce I made was actually pretty hot. I had seeded and stemmed the jalapeños but I think there were a couple of peppers on the high end of the heat scale because I got a pretty nice kick upon the first taste. The second batch I dialed back the heat.

The verde was made to go with the chicken. That is how I like to pair the sauces, green with the poultry and red with the beef. Any combo works but that is how I planned it for this particular meal. I thought a sweet and spicy verde would go perfect with my margarita grilled chicken.

Tomatillos look like little green tomatoes in natural paper wrappers. They are actually large berries and are a staple in Mexican cuisine.

MORE POSTS RELATED TO THIS MEAL
Gaujillo Sauce
Ancho Sauce
The meat
Meal overview

THE RECIPE

Salsa Verde

Makes 2 Quarts
8 to 10 Tomatillos, quartered
4 Red onions, quartered
6 Jalapeños
6 to 8 Garlic cloves
2 C Cilantro
Juice of 3 Limes

Roast or grill vegetables
Preheat oven or grill to 425°. Toss tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalapeños in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tomatillos wilt and edges appear slightly scorched.

Blend, adjust taste
IN TWO BATCHES place vegetables, cilantro and lime juice in blender, then liquefy. Taste, adjust seasoning and add a little water until desired consistency is achieved.

FOR HOT AND MILD VERDE
To make a hot salsa and a mild salsa, place more of the jalapeños in one batch than the other or adjust heat intensity by removing all, some or none of the stems and seeds of the jalapeño. 

Tacos for 125: Gaujillo Chili Sauce

Gaujillo Chili Sauce

This sauce features the guajillo chili and required less sugar to balance the bitterness than the other red sauce I made for the diner. Because of that I decided to make a super hot offering. The first batch was of medium heat but the second batch I left the jalapeños whole except for the stems. With less sugar to cut the heat, I knew that I would get a better sting. I like it hot and I knew there would be a few others at the party who would too, so I wanted to make a sauce with lots of kick. This was the chili sauce to do it with and it didn't take much to numb the lips.

The guajillo chili (pronounced wha-he-oh) is a fruity flavored pepper with mild heat, and a little brighter and less bitter than the more popular ancho chili. Made from a dried Mirasol chili it originates in central and northern Mexico but is now grown in many places around the world including China, Peru and the Untied States.

MORE POSTS RELATED TO THIS MEAL
Salsa Verde
Ancho Sauce
The Meat
Meal Overview

THE RECIPE

Salsa bar for tacos

Makes 2 Quarts
8 to 10 Tomatoes, quartered
4 Red onions, quartered
6 Jalapeños
6 to 8 Garlic cloves
10 to 12 Guajillo chilis
2 C Cilantro
1 Tbs to 1/4 C Sugar
Juice of 3 Limes

Roast or grill vegetables, soak chilis
Preheat oven or grill to 425° and boil a pot of water. Toss tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapeños in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tomatoes wilt and edges appear slightly scorched. While vegetables cook, soak chilis in a bowl of boiling water covered with plastic wrap or with tight fitting lid for at least 15 minutes or until reconstituted.

Blend, adjust taste
Remove chilis from water, carefully discard stems and seeds. IN TWO BATCHES divide and place chilis, vegetables, sugar and cilantro in blender, then liquefy. Taste, add salt if needed, if slightly bitter add more sugar and if to thick add water until desired consistency is achieved.

FOR HOT AND MILD SALSA
To make a hot salsa and a mild salsa, place more of the jalapeños in one batch than the other or adjust heat intensity by removing all, some or none of the stems and seeds.

Tacos for 125: Ancho Chili Sauce

Ancho chili sauce

Due to the ripeness of the tomatoes I was using and the natural bitterness of the ancho chili I needed a good amount of sugar in each batch to give this sauce balance. I made a mild and hot version. The mild, which was also very sweet was the most popular red sauce of the four that were put out for the party.

In the future, I want to experiment with adding ingredients to this sauce. Dark brewed coffee or even some bakers chocolate would compliment the ancho chili. For the purposes of the party though I felt like this sauce was spot on and it garnered the most compliments of all traditional taco sauces. (A special white sauce I made for the party was the biggest hit, but it was a gourmet dressing rather than a taco sauce.)

An Ancho chili is a dried poblano pepper and is the most widely used dried chili in Mexico. It has a “dark” or “rich” flavor similar to prunes or raisins with a slight amount of bitterness. It is considered to have a mild to medium heat.

MORE POSTS RELATED TO THIS MEAL
Salsa Verde
Gaujillo Sauce
The Meat
Meal Overview


THE RECIPE

Salsa bar for tacos

Makes 2 Quarts
8 to 10 Tomatoes, quartered
4 Red onions, quartered
6 Jalapeños
6 to 8 Garlic cloves
6 to 8 Ancho chilis
2 C Cilantro
2 Tbs to 1/2 C Sugar
Juice of 3 Limes

Roast or grill vegetables, soak chilis
Preheat oven or grill to 425° and boil pot of water. Toss tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapeños in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tomatoes wilt and edges appear slightly scorched. While vegetables cook soak chilis in a bowl of boiling water covered with plastic wrap or a with tight fitting lid for at least 15 minutes or until reconstituted.

Blend, adjust taste
Remove chilis from water and carefully remove stem and seeds. IN TWO BATCHES, divide and place chilis, vegetables, sugar and cilantro in blender, then liquefy. Taste, adjust seasoning, if slightly bitter add a little more sugar and if to thick add water until desired consistency is achieved.

FOR HOT AND MILD SALSA
To make a hot salsa and a mild salsa, place more of the jalapeños in one batch than the other or adjust heat intensity by removing all, some or none of the stems and seeds.

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.

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Tacos

Printable version

I have cooked several pork loins in the past. Usually I have either roasted them in the oven - or my favorite way - cooked them over indirect heat on a charcoal grill. Ironically, I had never cooked a whole loin in a crock-pot. Pork loin is lean and tender and I have always thought of the crock-pot as a vessel for turning the tougher cuts into fall-off-the-bone, melt in your mouth meals.

I found loin on sale and wanted to cook it overnight, so I thought the slow cooker was the best option. I made a sweet and savory rub for the loin and seared it on all sides before putting it in with tomato, onion and jalapeño. I set it on low at around 2 a.m. and went to bed.

I awoke around 9 a.m. and checked it. Everything look and smelled good but I decided not to remove the lid until it had been in for 10 hours. When I turned it off and lifted the cover at noon I used a fork to poke the loin. As soon as I touched the meat it feel apart. The entire loin had cooked into a tender juicy mess.

I shredded the entire loin and mixed the meat, vegetables and drippings together for some of the best shredded pork that I had ever eaten. The rub, vegetable base and cooking time of the meat culminated in a perfect pot of pork to share with a crowd. I served it with all the fixings to make either tacos or sandwiches. If you need to feed a group this recipe will do the trick.

BEHIND THIS BITE

One of the guys at the meeting I served the loin at really liked the meat. At first I thought he was just being nice but I could see that he was genuinely into it. I had some left over and decided to give it to him. I didn’t have any baggies but there was an empty sack of burger buns on the table - I asked him if it was ok to use it and he said sure! Off he went with a sunbeam burger bun-bag filled with enough pork for a couple of meals.

When I saw him later in the week he complimented me again and said he finished it off. I was happy because the bun bag would have tempted me to toss it away as soon as I got home, I’m glad he kept it and hopefully it provided him with a lunch or two!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 20 to 25 tacos; 10 hours, 30 minutes
1/4 C Brown Sugar
2 Tbs Cocoa powder
2 Tbs Chili Powder
1 Tbs Cumin
3 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black pepper
4 to 5 lb Pork loin, boneless
1 can Diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 C Onion, diced
4 Jalapenos, seeded, sliced
40 to 50 Corn tortillas (2 per taco)
1 1/2 C Taco sauce
1 1/2 C Onion, diced
1 1/2 C Cilantro, chopped

Make Rub, season loin
In a bowl mix together brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over and rub into loin with hands until loin is completely covered, set aside for 30 minutes and let marinate.

Sear loin, prepare slow cooker
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear loin in olive oil. (Make sure pan is hot and oil is simmering before adding loin.) Mix together tomato, onion and jalapeno in bottom of slow cooker.

Cook loin, shred
Place seared loin on top of vegetable mixture in slow cooker. Spoon some of the mixture and the juice over the loin. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Remove lid and shred loin with a fork, then stir together loin, juices and vegetables.

Make tacos
Toast or warm tortillas, stack two and layer pork, sauce, onion and cilantro, then serve.

Chicken Kabobs with Spicy Chipotle Ranch

Printable version

Last week, I said right here on this blog that using my stove top grill would be enough to get me through to the warm weather, where I could be outside using my actual grill.

I lied.

It wasn’t enough.

Just as a snow storm rolled through the area last Wednesday, I found myself with the sudden urge to be grilling again. Unable to resist this primal desire, I busted out the stove top grill, put on a t-shirt and cargo shorts and cooked up my dinner.

For this recipe, I make chicken kabobs. Instead of putting everything on the same skewers, I separate the chicken from the vegetables. Chicken must be cooked all of the way through and requires more time. Cooking them separately helps avoid over cooking the vegetables.

I serve these kabobs in a soft taco with ranch dressing that I spice up by adding minced chipotle peppers. This yummy grilled treat has made it much easier to endure the cold as I wait for warmer spring weather.

BEHIND THIS BITE
The irony of this recipe is that another storm (Saturn) rolled through and dropped even more snow in Northern Indiana as it was being published. It was created for the weekly print column, so I made it a week in advance during a completely different weather event. It went to print Tuesday and that night we got hit with the biggest snow of the season. It was enough to have to call in my uncle to plow the driveway - something that hasn’t been needed all winter. I’m hoping it's the last hurrah for old man winter this season.

I’m so ready for warm weather, we’re getting close to mid-March so I know that warm temperatures are just around the corner, but I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve trying to fall asleep. I just can’t wait to be outside with a campfire and charcoal grill, it’s my favorite thing about the summers here in rural Indiana. Until then, I guess I'll just hangout in my kitchen wearing flip-flops, cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 35 minutes
6 to 8 Bamboo skewers
1 1/4 lb Chicken breast, cut into 1-inch squares
2 Red peppers, cut into1-inch squares
1 Red onion, cut into 1-inch squares
2 Chipotle peppers, minced
1/2 C Ranch dressing
8 Pitas or tortillas
Lettuce, shredded
Tomato, sliced 

Skewer chicken, vegetables
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least half an hour. Place chicken on one set of skewers. On another place red pepper and onion alternating each one after the other. Brush with olive oil and season to taste. 

Make sauce, grill skewers
Mix together chipotle pepper and ranch dressing. On a hot grill place skewers, cook chicken until cook through 8 to 10 minutes per side. At same time cook vegetables until softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Let skewers rest at least 5 minutes. 

Serve
Remove chicken and vegetables from skewers and serve on pitas or tortillas with sauce, lettuce and tomato. 

Creole Chicken and Spicy Slaw Tacos

Printable version

I made Creole seasoning last week that contained the peppery heat found in the cooking associated with New Orleans and the surrounding Bayou. I added cumin and chili powder also, giving it a hint of Southwest.

I used it to season chicken tenders that were intended for tacos. To continue with a Southern theme, I wanted to pair the chicken with a coleslaw. Like the Creole seasoning, I thought it would be fun to mix the South with the Southwest, and instead of vinegar as the acidic element in the coleslaw I used lime juice. To add heat, I sliced jalapeños paper thin on a mandolin and tossed them into the mix, followed by fresh chopped cilantro.

It resulted in a creamy, crunchy and spicy topping for the taco that complimented the peppery chicken. Just to take it over the top (and add extra creaminess) I threw in a couple of slices of avocado.

Any fan of gourmet tacos should try this recipe. I personally couldn't get enough. Beware though, these babies have some kick!

BEHIND THIS BITE

I pigged out on these.

I must have looked like a starving pit bull who had just discovered how to get under the fence of a busy chicken coup. I’m glad I ate these in the confines of my office and not in front of any family members, the kids would have been traumatized. These tacos have all the things I love about good tacos - heat, texture and a little messy. Not chicken wings messy, but definitely not an eat-while-driving type of dish.

The cilantro-lime and jalapeño flavor of the slaw really did compliment the peppery heat of the chicken. I worried they would compete but the combination worked, and I was proud enough to give this taco an official name.

The South by Southwest Taco

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 10 to 12 tacos; 1 hour
1 1/4 lb Chicken tenders
2 Tbs Creole seasoning
3 C Cabbage mix
1/2 C Cilantro, chopped
2 Jalapeños, thin sliced
1/3 C Mayo
Juice and zest of 1 Lime
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
20 to 24 Corn tortillas (2 per taco)
3 Avocados, sliced

Season, grill chicken
Liberally sprinkle creole seasoning on both sides of chicken tenders. Let marinate 30 minutes. Grill until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice.

Make slaw, assemble
Combine cabbage mixture, Cilantro, Jalapeño, mayo, Lime juice and zest, sugar and season to taste. Heat tortillas for 1 minute in microwave, top with avocado, chicken and slaw. Fold and eat. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Printable version

During the holidays, most of us attend multiple gatherings. Chances are at least one of those parties will be a potluck dinner. The first time I made a dish for a potluck was during my first Christmas living in New York City. My department at the Associated Press had a holiday gathering. I decided to make nacho dip.

I started with taco meat, then added cheese. I should have stopped at that point but I kept adding things. By the time I was finished it contained a number of ingredients including black olives and shredded lettuce. I thought it tasted good, but it looked like yellow-grey cottage cheese with random chunks throughout. It was more of a goop than a dip.

I took it to the party and the only person to try it was the one known as “the crazy old man” in the editorial art department.

My culinary skills have improved since then and for this recipe, I create a potluck dish made in a slow cooker. It’s a spicy shredded chicken mix that can be filling in a soft taco or eaten alone like a chili.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I made these for the first of many Christmas parties this year. They went over well and I actually had some leftovers that made for a couple of tasty lunches. I really like this kind of cooking – throw it all in a pot and let it go. These kind of recipes are perfect for the holidays. While it cooks all gift wrapping and even a couple other dishes can can be made just in time it to be ready for the party.

I really love crock pot tacos. A modest amount of meat combined with a few other ingredients can go a long way.

These were perfect for the party. There were two different nacho dips placed right beside them. It wasn’t long before I saw a couple of guys smother their tacos in the nacho dip, completely ignoring the sour cream and shredded cheese intended as the garnish. It doesn’t take long for a couple of hungry dudes to get inventive at a potluck – especially when there's beer around.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 40 tacos; 4 hours, 30 minutes
5 lbs Chicken breast, boneless
1 can Tomatoes, diced, drained (28 oz)
1 can Black beans, rinsed (15 oz)
1 can Corn, drained (15 oz)
1 C Onion, diced
1 C Tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 Jalapeños, sliced
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin

Assemble and cook
Place chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, onion, tomato sauce, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste in a slow cooker and mix together. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Shred chicken, serve
Remove chicken from pot and shred with a fork, then stir shredded meat back into mixture. Serve on flour tortillas and garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Crock-pot Shredded Beef Sliders and Tacos

Printable version

The idea for a post like this originated last March. I wanted to take a large and tough cut of meat, season it with a rub and cook it in a slow cooker. I would then take the meat and do different things with it like the taco and slider presented here. Because of an ingredient mix up, my initial try turned out disastrous and then summer came in March. We had a week of record high temperatures in Northern Indiana and the weather never turned cold again, so a crock-pot meal was kind of forgotten about.

Fall has arrived and I thought I would give the crock-pot meal another try and I'm pleased to report that this recipe turned out even better than expected. The brown sugar was the perfect balance for the chipotle chili powder in the rub. (I used McCormicks brand which can be a bit spicy.)

I would have been perfectly happy eating this beef beside some potatoes and carrots, but I didn’t plan for that when I initially started. I wish I would have because the beef was great by itself. I did have a nice pig-out session after I shredded the beef though, it was a greasy, use-your-fingers kind of pig-out. I really couldn’t resist with two pounds of succulent fall apart meat in front of me.

Either the sliders or tacos are a perfect way to deliver this tasty crock-pot beef. The tacos could probably feed a family of six by themselves. But the idea was to make something that a lot of people could eat - I planned it as a football party snack, and that was accomplished.

BEHIND THIS BITE
As I said in the beginning, I initially tried this type of crock-pot recipe back in early March. In that test I used pork shoulder. The problem arose when I grabbed the wrong bottle of chili powder when making the rub. I noticed the bright red color of the powder when I measured it out, but I didn't know until tasting the final product that I had grabbed a bottle of cayenne instead of regular chili powder. Sometime ago I used an empty bottle of chili powder to consolidate three or four half filled bottles of cayenne pepper – that's the bottle I grabbed. The end result was an extremely hot shredded pork. I basically seasoned three pounds of pork with a rub the featured two heaping tablespoons of cayenne pepper and there was nothing else in the rub to counter balance the heat. It was not inedible, but to much of the pork would have ended up creating fire in the hole. (If you know what I mean)

I made sure I double checked all of my spices before putting them into the rub this time and I'm glad I did because this cut turned out delicious.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
The Beef
Makes 2 to 2 1/2 lbs; 5 hours
2 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
2 Tbs Brown sugar
1 Tbs Cumin
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black pepper
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
3 lb Chuck roast boneless
1 can Beef broth (14.5 oz)

Make rub, season beef
Mix together chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Rub mix on chuck roast, let marinate half an hour.

Sear roast, cook in slow cooker, shred
In a cast iron pan over high heat, sear roast on all sides until a dark brown crust forms. Place in slow cooker with beef broth and cook on high for 4 hours or until roast easily tears apart with a fork. Remove to a bowl and shred entire roast with forks.

THE SLIDERS
Makes 12 sandwiches
12 Dinner rolls
Shredded beef
1 C Barbecue sauce

Assemble
On a dinner roll cut in half, pile beef, add barbecue sauce and top half of roll.

THE TACOS
Makes 20 to 24 tacos
20 to 24 Flour tortillas
Shredded beef
1 1/2 C Salsa picante
3/4 C Onion diced
2 C Cilantro Chopped

Warm, assemble
Warm tor ill as in microwave or oven until heated tortillas through. On warm tortilla layer, shredded beef, salsa picante, onion and cilantro. Fold and
serve.