Tacos with homemade Tortillas

Ingredients:

• Tortillas:

  • 2 cups corn meal (Masa)

  • 1 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 tsp salt

• Beef Filling:

  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20)

  • 1 small onion diced (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 3 tsp brown sugar

  • 2 tsp cumin

  • 2 tsp coriander

  • 1/2 tsp chili powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp pepper

  • 8 oz can tomato sauce

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/2 to 1 jalapeno, seeded & finely diced

• Toppings:

  • Fiesta cheese blend

  • Salsa

  • Queso Fresco

  • Lime

  • Sour cream or Crema

  • Lettuce - thinly sliced

  • Cilantro

Directions:

• Start by making the tortilla dough:

  • Combine the masa, water and salt in a bowl. Stir until combined then use your hands to finish mixing. Add 1 tbs of water at a time if needed to just get the dough to hold together.

  • Cover and let sit for 10-30 min.

  • To test, form a ball about the size of a golf ball or 2 tbs. The dough should hold together easily.

• For the beef filling:

  • Add the onions and ground beef to a skillet over med-high heat. Stir often, breaking up the meat into small pieces. This should take 5-7 min

  • Once the beef is just about finished browning, drain the grease off the skillet and return to the heat.

  • Add the garlic and the dried spices to the meat. Stir into the meat for about 30 sec. The aromas will tell you when it's ready.

  • Add the tomato sauce and jalapenos. Simmer for about 10 min, stirring periodically.

• Create the corn tortillas:

  • Take a gallon size ziplock back and cut the 2 sides. Place the bottom seam at the hinge of the tortilla press. This will keep the tortillas from sticking to the press. A piece of wax paper would also work well.

  • Create a ball about the size of a golf ball (2 tbs) and place in the middle of the press. Press down, then gently peal the tortilla off. Stack slightly overlapping on a plate so that you can easily remove them when cooking.

  • To cook, preheat a non-stick griddle or pan to med-high heat. Add the tortillas (no oil) to the pan and cook for about 1 to 1.5 min per side. Stack in a tortilla warmer lined with a paper towel or wrap in a clean dish towel.

  • The tortillas will be steam slightly and stay moist and pliable.

• Fill and eat! For the ingredients listed, I usually will build the tacos in this order:

  • Meat, shredded cheese, queso fresco, salsa, lime juice squeezed over the taco, sour cream, lettuce and a large amount of cilantro on top.

Notes:

• This serves 3 people easily and maybe a fourth, approximately 12 tacos.

• Updated on 8/14/23 - Reduced chili powder and added a little sweetness with brown sugar