Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Skills I Probably Shouldn't Learn

Last week, Sarge and I went out for lunch at a local Mexican place.  There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in the area, but we had not been to this one yet.  One of the things the Sarge got on his lunch special was a crispy taco.  He really liked it...I mean REALLY liked it, so I thought that I might try at making them.  

So today I have shredded beef cooking away in the crock-pot for tacos tonight, and figured I would pull out my electric skillet and try my hand at making them.  

While I was at it, I thought it would be the perfect time to try and make some fried mushrooms from a recipe that I had been wanting to try for a while.  

So I started with the tortillas first...man do those little buggers puff up!!!  The first one was not too good, but the second looked better.  Then I dropped a couple of mushrooms in the batter and plopped them in the oil.  It was already hot after all... :)  They turned out pretty good!  

Hmmm...what else do I have that I can fry.  Ahh, how about some pickles!  Yep, those taste pretty good too, and so did the mozzarella stick that I battered and fried.  

I did one more flour tortilla to make sure that I knew what I was doing...and hey, we have some corn tortillas, maybe those will work too...

Needless to say, I am hoping someone gets home quick so I don't have to eat all this myself!!! 

Great way to spend a cold and rainy day... :)

Oh, and here is the recipe for the Shredded Beef Tacos.  My house smells divine!   It is from the Crockin' Girls Website (http://crockingirls.com/recipes/slow-cooked-shredded-beef-tacos/

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Tacos

Ingredients
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Pounds Beef
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Cup Beef Stock
1-2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Chipotle Pepper in adobe sauce
1/2 Large Sweet Onion, diced
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
Flour Tortillas
Favorite Taco Toppings

Preparation
Step One - Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Step Two - Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
Step Three - Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly.
Step Four - Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit in the skillet), place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side.

Step Five - Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Step Six - Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step Seven - Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce.
Step Eight - Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Step Nine - Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.
Step Ten - Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef.
Step Eleven - Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Step Twelve - Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.

Step Thirteen - Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.
Some topping ideas include: guacamole or avocado fresh salsa Mexican rice grated cheese fresh lettuce tomato onion cilantro squeeze of lime juice

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