I was just about eighteen years old when I really caught the cooking bug. My Nana had recently passed away, and I wanted to learn and remember how to make one of my favorite dishes, a plate that she was very well known for, her Tabbouleh. It was light, and acidic, and had a beautiful saltiness to it… and that fresh crunch was (and still is) a beautiful way to dive into a meal.
In fact, eventually it spurred me to make a guest video for Foodwishes.com (thanks, Chef John!) to get exposure on how to make such a wonderful dish out into the world. I focused on perfecting my chopping skills and while I was very good at making Tabbouleh, I wasn’t really interested in learning to make much else or expanding my horizons too much. I could replicate my memory of my Nana and I was content.
Fast forward a few years later when, by chance, I happened to hang out with my dad, step-mom, sister, and our very good friend Hannah. They were all fans of American Idol and I wanted to watch an episode just to see exactly why people liked it so much. It just so happened that was the season that Adam Lambert was absolutely crushing it and for better or worse I too was hooked, if only for that season.
And more importantly, right after American Idol was a little show called Hell’s Kitchen.
I had never even heard of Gordon Ramsay prior to stumbling upon Hell’s Kitchen Season 5 and yet he quickly grabbed my attention with his high standards of cooking and presentation and, yes of course, his penchant for profanity and decorating the kitchen walls with under cooked or imperfect food. It was the standards and exposure to the art of food that really grabbed my interest though and I wanted in every fiber of my being to be able to create dishes that were up to that level of perfection.
Considering I hate reading these blogs as much as I’m sure you do, I’ll bet you’re currently rolling your eyes and muttering to yourself “cool story Rob, but what does any of this have to do with tacos?”
American Idol and Hell’s Kitchen aired on Tuesday nights. Prior to watching these shows, we would occasionally put together the odd Taco Tuesday with friends. Since I was good at chopping due to my tabbouleh obsession I would often be asked to chop the produce required for the salsa and the guacamole and sometimes I would even shred the lettuce. I took pride in how small I could make the tomato and onion dice, yet once I did the dicing and threw everything into a bowl I more or less considered my work done.
After being introduced to Hell’s Kitchen my obsession switched from simply making tabbouleh and being generally proud of my knife skills to completely taking over Taco Tuesday from start to finish. Every week I would dive in and figure out new workflows that saved time, learn new ways to chop produce for higher efficiency, and really had some fun experimenting with the best ways to prepare the taco filling whether it be a more “traditional” ground beef or even realizing I could substitute finely chopped portobello mushrooms and get a very similar flavor while keeping the dish vegetarian for friends with those dietary preferences.
Taco Tuesday was also the springboard that really built up my confidence in my abilities in the kitchen and led me to attempt a wide range of recipes and techniques, many of which I will be sharing in these videos and live streams.
Since we are also currently entering a period of recommended sheltering-at-home and I don’t feel like I should be inviting family or friends over for dinner at least for the near future, I figure this will be an excellent way to virtually invite you to hang out with me and have some dinner. Grab the ingredients which will be posted during the week before the stream and get ready.
Whether you’re a novice who is uncomfortable in the kitchen or you’re a pro that can even teach me new skills and new ways to approach things, you’re always welcome into my kitchen to Cook Along Live!
Tacos, Salsa, and Guacamole
Equipment
- Potato Masher
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Cheese Grater
- Lemon Juicer / Reamer
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 lb Ground Beef 85/15
- ¾ cup Water
- ½ White Onion
- 1 clove Garlic
- Taco Seasoning
- 12 Taco Shells OR
- 12 Tortillas flour or corn
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 head Romaine Lettuce
- 1 bottle Taco Sauce
Salsa
- 6 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
- ½ White Onion
- ¼ cup Cilantro Leaves
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 Serrano
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- Kosher Salt to taste
Guacamole
- 4 Avocados
- 6 Scallions
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 Tomato roma is recommended
- ¼ cup Cilantro Leaves
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Cumin
- Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Salsa
- Quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the pith, seeds, and gel.
- Finely dice tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno and Serrano peppers and place in a mixing bowl.
- Bunch cilantro leaves into a bundle and slice through them once then place in mixing bowl.
- Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice a little bit at a time and mix through to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Make the Guacamole
- Split the avocados in half, long ways, by placing them down on a cutting board and slicing until you hit the seed or pit in the middle. Roll the avocado along the knife blade to create a cut around the fruit.
- Remove the seeds from the avocados, reserving the best looking one for later presentation.
- Use a butter knife to cube the avocado flesh while still in their skin then scoop out the cubes with a large spoon into a mixing bowl.
- Pour lemon juice over avocado and give a quick mix to coat
- Crush garlic into the mixing bowl then use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash the avocado, garlic, and lemon juice together until desired smoothness is achieved.
- Quarter the tomato and scoop out the pith, seeds, and gel then roughly dice and mix into the guacamole.
- Finely slice scallions and mix through the guacamole.
- Add salt, pepper, and cumin to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Make the Tacos
- Dice the onion and crush or very finely dice the garlic yet keep them separated.
- Preheat a cast iron or heavy skillet to medium high heat.
- Preheat your oven to 350F for hard shells or prepare a second pan to heat soft tortillas.
- Add approximately 1 Tbsp olive oil and add the onion, sauté for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and stir through until fragrant, approximately one minute.
- Remove the onions and garlic from the pan to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan and add just a touch more oil. Make sure the pan has a few minutes to come back up to temperature.
- Add the ground beef or portobello mushroom to the pan and smash/spread it across as much of the pan surface as possible. Let sit for 3-5 minutes until seared then reduce the heat to medium and if using ground meat flip almost like a very large hamburger patty. Don’t worry if it starts to crumble and break apart; however, try to keep it in one piece. If using mushroom, reduce heat and give it a thorough stirring, allowing the moisture to evaporate.
- Now that the entire patty has been flipped, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break the ground meat apart. Take your time and make sure to crumble it thoroughly. Drain excess oil from the pan if necessary once the meat is cooked through.
- Stir the onions and garlic into the pan and combine with the taco filling.
- Add taco seasoning, sprinkling it over the taco filling then stirring it through. Let it toast lightly for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water and thoroughly stir it through the filling. The seasoning should emulsify into the liquid and create a sauce.
- Bring taco filling up to a rapid simmer and then reduce the heat to achieve a very light simmer. Stir occasionally while the sauce thickens and adheres to the taco filling.
- Once the sauce has thickened, turn the heat down to low to keep the filling warm.
- Slice your head of romaine in half, then thinly slice for your sliced lettuce. Place into a bowl.
- Grate your sharp cheddar cheese using a cheese grater. Place into a bowl.
Toast the Shells / Tortillas
- If using hard shells, place several on a baking sheet and place into the oven for 3-4 minutes.
- If using corn or flour tortillas, preheat the second pan to medium heat and toast each side of your tortillas for a minute or two.
While Snacking on Salsa & Guacamole Plate Your Tacos
- In your hard shell or flour tortilla, place a thin layer of guacamole followed by a layer of your taco filling. Top with shredded lettuce, salsa, and cheese. Optionally finish with taco sauce.
