Origin of tacos
It is commonly accepted that tacos come from Mexico, and they were invented long before the arrival of the Spanish there. The ancient Mexicans used freshly prepared corn tortillas and added toppings such as fish, meat, etc. It was an ‘all-in-one’ meal that provided vital nutrients and energy to those who consumed it.
These tacos did not contain cheese, lettuce, or tomato that we often associate with them today. In fact, the taco as we know it is less than 100 years old.
In short, my beef taco recipe is based on this traditional, more refined version that gives a true taste pleasure in the mouth and not just an explosion of fat and sweetness (not that I dislike that, but it’s not what we’re looking for here)
Simple ingredients, equally fresh toppings with a delicious homemade mango sauce. Try it and you’ll adopt it.
Ingredients for beef tacos
The beef: Beef tacos without beef is a bit tricky. I obviously recommend using local beef bought from an artisan. For the type of cuts, here, you should take the least noble piece possible, a good piece for long cooking like the carbonnade.
Any piece can be used, but the result will be almost identical, so there’s no need to break the bank.
The mango/mango juice: You can make the mango juice yourself, but if you decide to buy it, make sure to check the label for the highest possible fruit content. And above all, no added sugars because for the sauce we will concentrate the sugars already present in the juice.
Tips for successful beef tacos
Patience is the mother of flavors. You have to wait for the meat to cook and become super tender. In fact, the only risk here is that the meat is not cooked enough… otherwise, the recipe is very, very flexible. Literally impossible to mess up.
How to accompany beef tacos?
It’s really a complete dish in itself, so you should focus more on the appetizer.
Ingredients
Spices
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
Beef
- 1.5 kg of slow-cooking beef
- 5 minced garlic cloves
- 1 minced onion
- 185 ml orange juice
- 2 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 400 g of tomato puree
- 500 ml of beef or chicken broth
- 125 g water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
Mango Sauce
- 500 ml of mango juice
- 3 mint leaves
Procédé
- Mix all the spices. Pat 4 teaspoons of the mixture onto the beef (cut into large pieces beforehand)
- Sear the beef over high heat to brown on all sides. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes
- Add orange juice and lemon juice to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom
- Add water, broth, tomato puree, and the rest of the spices. Mix and return the beef.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low so that it simmers.
- Cook for two hours. Then 30 minutes without the lid or until the beef is tender enough to shred
- Remove the beef and shred it using two forks
- Let the remaining liquid simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened.
- Return the now shredded meat and mix.
Mango Sauce
- Bring the mango juice to a boil
- Add mint to boil for 5 minutes
- Remove the mint and thicken the mango juice over medium heat
- Put in a jar and cool in the fridge before serving
Nutrition
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