Tacos are one of my hands down favorite meals as far as flavor and fast to make. With people in my house that have specialized diets, everyone can fill their own and all I have to do is set out everything out. What's not to like? Often we go with a turkey filling, but this week I cooked up a beef one that is a favorite of mine and Kevin. It has a lot of flavor but isn't too spicy-if you like spice, add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. You can use it with crunchy corn or soft flour tortillas, and the leftovers freeze really well. Make sure to simmer it good and long to get rid of the juice or your tacos might be a bit drippy.Adapted From The Easy Gourmet
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 each sweet green and red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp each brown sugar and red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chili powder
one 398 can of stewed tomatoes
Saute the ground beef until it's cooked through and no longer pink. Drain off the fat. Add the onion, sweet peppers, and garlic; stirring and continuing to cook until they are soft. Stir in the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, salt, black pepper, oregano and chili powder. Let it continue to cook (and stir!) for a few minutes to let the spices blend into the meat.
Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid. Increase the heat and cook, uncovered so that the mixture thickens and the juices are absorbed. It takes about 15 minutes or so.
Serve warm with an assortment of taco fillings, such as:
-chopped green onion
-diced tomato
-shredded lettuce
-shredded cheese
-avocado, cut into chunks
-salsa
-refried beans
-chopped sweet red pepper
-black olives
Put everything out and let your family fill their own!
Makes 10 burritos, probably more tacos. You can freeze the leftover filling, too.
