Crispy Tacos Picadillo Recipes

Steps:

• Put the oil, onions, garlic, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and their juices and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the beef is cooked through and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
• To make the taco shells: Pour enough frying oil into a small skillet so its about 3/4 of an inch deep; heat over medium to medium-high. Holding 1 edge of a tortilla with tongs, lay the other half in the oil, keeping it flat with a spatula. Cook until crisp, 30 second to 1 minute. Flip the tortilla over and repeat with the other half, holding the first side of the tortilla at an angle to make an open shell, cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Put the fixings and meat in individual bowls and the taco shells on a platter. Serve encouraging your diners to build their own tacos, with meat in the shell with fixings on top.

Steps:

• Make the picadillo: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until just starting to turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up pieces with the back of a wooden spoon, until beef has browned, about 4 minutes. Spoon out excess fat so that 1 tablespoon remains. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until thick and very little liquid remains, about 18 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
• Make the tacos: Heat 1 inch oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees. Fry tortillas, one at a time, by folding in half and laying one half flat in oil while holding other half with tongs, and repeating with the other half to form a half moon shell, until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per half. Meanwhile, let finished taco shells rest on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spoon picadillo into each taco shell, and garnish with lettuce, onion, shredded cheese, and salsa picante.

Steps:

• Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, cumin seeds and peppercorns into a smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup water and mash until the paste is incorporated into the water. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup. (Alternately, blend the garlic, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a blender with about 1/4 cup water, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender until very well blended, about 5 minutes.)
• To make the picadillo, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Add the beef and let it brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until mostly cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and the meat is fully crumbled, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add half the blended garlicky liquid to the beef, along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and about 1 cup water. (The water should cover the beef by about two-thirds.) Let the mixture come to a simmer over medium heat. Let cook, occasionally scraping the bottom of the skillet using a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, until the liquid reduces slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt.
• Drain most but not all of the liquid from the beef picadillo into another skillet (you'll want to retain just enough to keep the meat moist), then cover the beef picadillo and set aside.
• To the excess beef cooking liquid, add the remaining blended garlicky liquid, 1 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a strong simmer over medium-high heat and let it cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season to taste with salt.
• Taste the drained beef picadillo, season to taste, and add a few spoonfuls of the reduced broth to season the meat, if desired.
• Lay one tortilla in the skillet containing the simmering broth and let it soak just until slightly softened, 5 or 6 seconds (enough time for the tortilla to absorb the flavors of the broth without absorbing too much liquid and falling apart). Working quickly, use a spatula to remove the softened tortilla from the skillet, allowing excess liquid to drip off, and lay the tortilla down on a plate. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef picadillo down the middle. Roll the taco and transfer it to a platter, seam side down. Repeat this step until you have filled all of the tortillas. Discard any remaining broth.
• Sprinkle the tacos with the shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Serve with rice and beans and salsa, if using.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned on all sides but not completely cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, leaving as much fat in the skillet as possible. Repeat with the remaining beef.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, carrots, jalapeno, onions, poblano, potato, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Clear a space in the pan and add the tomato paste, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir to bring the whole mixture together, then add the stock and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom, until the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. If necessary, season with salt and pepper.
• While the picadillo is cooking, pour oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot to come 3 inches up the sides and fit with a deep-fry thermometer. Heat over high heat until the thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Holding a tortilla perpendicular to the oil near the edge of the pot, carefully lower into the oil so that the tortilla slides to the bottom (this method will fry and seal both sides of the tortilla, allowing steam to inflate-or "puff"-the tortilla like a balloon). After a few seconds, the puffy tortilla will float to the surface; turn it over and push the top edge of a metal spatula (a fish spatula works best) into the center of the tortilla, bending it into a taco shape, and press it below the oil's surface. Hold it in place and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Invert the taco shell onto paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
• Spoon the beef picadillo into the puffy taco shells. Top with lettuce, salsa, cheese, cilantro and onion. Serve with lime wedges.