Tacos seems to be a favorite around most houses. They go together quick and taste great. Simple, compact and fun. Now, I admit for me, tacos is an all day affair. First I like to cook my meat for a good long time so that it is soft and full of flavor. Second I make my own (flour) tortillas. This step seems to scare people but honestly, it is easy! and takes about an hour total to do a full batch (I get 16 tortillas from my recipe). I also get security know what the ingredients are. I'm feeding me (1 adult) and 2 kids (ages 9 and 12). So one batch of meat and one of tortillas is enough. I am still buying corn hard shells though. I have a press and have made soft corn tortillas I have yet to experiment with turning them into hard taco shells.
So, what do I do that is different than most people. Well, I have 2 ways of making my meat. One I learned from a friend long ago. If you live in the US it's easy as pie. 1 pound of ground beef and 1 can of Rotel with green chilies in it, mild or hot depending on your preference. Brown the beef, drain if needed, add the can of Rotel. If you are making more than one batch at a time drain all but one can. Add it to the browned beef and cook until the liquid from the Rotel is gone. Easy peasy.
But!!! I don't live in the US and no longer have regular access to a US base so I have had to adjust my recipe, and I'm ok with that. These days I use my own blended 'taco seasoning' and cans of diced tomatoes. I cook mine all day so I don't drain them no matter how many batches I am doing at the same time. 500 g of ground meat (I use beef but this could be done with mixed or even chicken) browned and drained if need be, just before the meat is completely cooked through I add the spice 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500g of meat. It gives the spices a little bit of a toasting and brings out the flavor. Then like the Rotel, I add the canned diced tomatoes, and as I already said, no matter how many batches I don't drain them. This can be done on the stove or you can toss the browned and seasoned meat into a crockpot with the tomatoes and let it cook all day like that. If you are trying to speed up the process drain the tomatoes and cook for about 1/2 an hour.
After the meat is started I start my tortillas. The recipe is simple ( and will be found further down). For a complete batch start to finish it takes about an hour. Once you get a rhythm going they go quick. Many people thing you need a press for these, Nope! They get rolled out with a rolling pin on a floured surface. What you do need though is a cast iron skillet. I have not tried them in any other type of pan but ... I wouldn't want to. They are cooked in a 'dry' pan. While you do not need oil, I lightly oil my pan between tortillas. This cleans the loose flour out of the pan and keeps the pan from drying out as well as keeps it well seasoned. I use olive oil. The longest part of the recipe is the 'resting' phase. It has 4 ingredients and nothing fancy. Super simple. I make them up to a day ahead of time and if there are leftovers they will last a couple days on the counter in a ziplock bag.
Tortillas:
You need a big bowl, a rolling pin and some plastic wrap or a damp towel
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (Canola, corn, or veggie. You could use schmaltz but melt it.)
1 cup water as hot as you can stand it
Mix the salt into the flour
Pour in the oil
Immediately pour in the hot water and start mixing with a wooden spoon or by hand
Knead it smooth
Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and rest for 20 min
Portion into approximately 1.5 ounce balls ( i use a scale and measure them between 1.4 and 1.5 ounces, feel free to just divide into 16 pieces)
Rest 10 min covered ( usually by the time I have measured all of them I can start rolling them)
On a floured surface roll into circles that will fit your pan or just a tiny bit smaller
On a medium heat cook each tortilla about 2 min on each side
Remove to a plate and stacking them one on another is fine
While the first side is cooking I begin rolling out the next tortilla, flip the tortilla and finish rolling.
If your tortillas are cooking faster turn down the heat in the pan.
Note: If the tortillas are 'pulling back' and not rolling smoothly just let them rest a little longer. They should roll smooth with no pull back.
Taco seasoning:
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Chili powder
3 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon finely ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika (I use Roßenscharf but you can use Edelsuß, regular or smoked)
2 teaspoons Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Onion Powder ( I can not find powder so I use dry onion)
2 teaspoons dry Oregano
I use 2-2.5 Tablespoons per 500 gm meat
If you are not using a can of tomatoes like above add 1/3 cup water or broth to the meat
These are just guidelines! Feel free to increase or decrease as you like
Feel free to add cayenne if you like it spicier or ground chipotle
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