Tacos are a classic dish of Mexican cuisine, so any self-respecting chef should know how to make the delicious meat filling. The most common choice is to use ground beef, but variants with chicken, steak and pork are also very popular and appreciated. Read on and find out how to prepare the different types of meat for the filling.
Ingrediants
For 4-6 people
Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of seed oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of cumin
- Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
- A teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 450 g of ground beef
- 125 ml of tomato sauce
- 125 ml of chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of brown sugar
Chicken
- 450 g boneless chicken breast (skinless)
- 5 teaspoons (25 g) of paprika
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) of sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) of garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) of salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) of cumin
- Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 l + 4 tablespoons (125 ml) of water
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of cornstarch (or cornstarch)
Beef steaks
- 450 g of sirloin steaks or other part of the beef
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lard or seed oil
- Half a teaspoon of cumin
- A teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Pork meat
- 450 g of boneless pork chops
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Half a teaspoon of onion powder
- Half a teaspoon of paprika
- Half a teaspoon of chili powder
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of seed oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lime juice
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare Ground Beef for Tacos
Step 1. Heat the seed oil in a pan
Pour the oil into a medium skillet and heat it over medium heat for several minutes.
When the oil slips easily to the bottom of the pan, it means it is hot enough
Step 2. Fry the onion
Pour the chopped onion into the pan and let it dry. It will take about 5 minutes for it to become soft and translucent.
If you don't have fresh onion at home, you can replace it with powdered or flaked onion and put it in the pan at the same time as the other spices. You can use one tablespoon (15g) of onion flakes or one teaspoon (5g) of onion powder, depending on what you have on hand
Step 3. Add the garlic and spices
Stir in the chopped garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and onion sautéed cayenne pepper. Add a teaspoon (5 g) of salt and let the ingredients cook for about thirty seconds or until they release their scent.
- If you don't have fresh or dried garlic available, you can substitute one and a half teaspoons of garlic flakes or half a tablespoon of garlic powder.
- You can adjust the amount of chili according to your personal tastes. The dose suggested by the recipe will make the meat medium spicy. You can add more or less according to your preferences.
Step 4. Brown the ground beef
Pour the ground beef into the pan and let it cook until it has lost its pink color. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Separate the meat with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula as it cooks, so it browns faster and evenly.
- If you prefer, you can use ground turkey to make a healthier, lighter version of tacos.
Step 5. Add the remaining ingredients
Pour the tomato puree, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar over the meat. Stir and cook all the filling ingredients for about ten minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- If possible, use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Stir frequently to make sure all the ingredients are well blended.
- When the meat is cooked, taste and season with salt if necessary.
Method 2 of 4: Prepare the Chicken for Tacos
Step 1. Combine the spices
Combine the paprika, chilli, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder in a small bowl. Combine the spices well using a small whisk.
- You can use white granulated sugar or, if you prefer, brown sugar.
- You can increase or decrease the amount of paprika and chilli to make the dish more or less hot and spicy, according to your personal tastes. The dose suggested by the recipe will make the meat medium spicy.
Step 2. Cook the chicken in the water with the spices
Place the chicken breast in a high-sided pan, cover it with a quart of water and add 4 tablespoons (60 g) of the spice mixture. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat so that it simmers gently.
- Cover the pan and let the chicken cook for 30 minutes, stirring periodically.
- After half an hour, the chicken should be soft and fully cooked in the center as well.
- If you prefer, you can cook the chicken in a pot (regular or cast iron) instead of a pan. The important thing is that it has a thick bottom and is equipped with a lid.
Step 3. Let the chicken cool
Transfer it to a plate and wait for it to cool.
Do not throw away the cooking liquid
Step 4. Reduce the liquid in which you cooked the meat
While the chicken cools, turn the stove under the pot again, bring the liquid back to a boil, and let it boil.
- At this stage, leave the pot uncovered.
- As you boil, much of the liquid will evaporate and the liquid left in the pot will have a thicker consistency and concentrated flavor.
Step 5. Shred the chicken
When it is cold enough for you to touch it with your hands, fray it using two forks.
- If you prefer, you can fray it with your hands, but with the forks you will avoid getting dirty.
- Alternatively, you can coarsely cut the chicken into cubes or strips with a knife.
Step 6. Return the chicken to the pot
Dip the shredded meat into the cooking liquid you reduced.
Mix well so that the meat is well distributed
Step 7. Make the liquid thicken further
Combine 4 tablespoons (125 ml) of water, the remaining spice mixture and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pot and wait for the liquid to thicken.
- You need to let the liquid boil after adding the cornstarch so that it has time to do its job as a thickener.
- Keep stirring until the liquid has thickened.
- When the sauce has reached the correct density, remove the pot from the heat and serve or store the meat for the tacos.
Method 3 of 4: Prepare Beef Steaks for Tacos
Step 1. Season the beef steaks
Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Massaging the steaks with spices will make them tastier. However, this is an optional step that you can skip if you want to simplify the preparation. Many recipes, in fact, do not include the addition of spices or mention only salt and pepper.
- With sirloin steaks you will get a good result. However, if you prefer, you can use the rib steak or the sirloin, the important thing is to cut them very thin (about 1 cm).
- If you are unsure of how much salt and pepper to use, start with a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper and then correct after cooking if necessary.
Step 2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan
Pour the seed oil into a large skillet with a sturdy bottom and heat it over medium-high heat.
- Let the oil warm up for a few minutes.
- For a more authentic flavor, you can use lard instead of seed oil.
Step 3. Cook the steaks
Place them in a pan making sure they do not overlap and brown them for 4-6 minutes, turning them once halfway through cooking.
If the skillet isn't large enough to accommodate all of the steaks, cook them a little at a time without overlapping them. Wrap the cooked ones in aluminum foil to keep them warm
Step 4. Let the meat rest
Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before continuing.
While resting, the meat will continue to cook thanks to the residual heat and its juices will be redistributed among the fibers. The steaks will therefore be juicier and more tender
Step 5. Slice the steaks
Cut them into strips in the opposite direction to the fibers using a large sharp knife, then serve them or store them as a filling for tacos.
Meat cut perpendicular to the arrangement of muscle fibers is more tender. If you cut the steaks following the direction of the muscle fibers, they will be harder and difficult to chew
Method 4 of 4: Prepare Pork for Tacos
Step 1. Cut the pork chops
Take a large sharp knife and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Pork cuts easier when cold and still slightly frozen in the center. However, the chops must mostly be defrosted
Step 2. Marinate the meat
Place it in a large resealable bag and add the spices, a tablespoon (15 ml) of oil and the lime juice. Shake the bag to distribute the seasonings around the meat, then leave it to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Pork can also be marinated with just the spices, but adding the oil and lime juice will allow the flavors to penetrate deeper. The acidity of the lime juice will break the fibers of the meat, while the oil will make it moist and spread the flavors.
- If you prefer, you can put the meat in a glass dish, season it with the oil, lime juice and spices and leave it to marinate in the refrigerator covered with cling film.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a pan
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of seed oil over medium-high heat in a large, thick-bottomed pan.
- Let it warm up for several minutes to make sure it reaches the correct temperature.
- You can use sunflower or corn oil or, if you prefer, extra virgin olive oil.
Step 4. Brown the meat
Pour the pork cubes into the boiling oil and let them brown until they begin to brown. At that point, adjust the heat to medium, cover the pan and let the meat cook until its juices have evaporated.
- This should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.
- When the meat is completely cooked, remove it from the heat and serve it to stuff the tacos. If you want, you can keep it in the refrigerator until use.
