1. 23 February 2010 · 09:35 PM ·

    Taco 018: USA #1 Tacos


    image: Oleai’s Tacos by Kevinv033

    It should be said that I am very into the winter Olympics. So, tonight, I wanted my tacos to go along with the Olympics-viewing party that was gathering around the telly - but what goes best with hockey, bobsled, and Nordic combined? What tacos can you feel good eating while tiny girls in tiny getups jump around on ice?

    I thought about something Canadian themed. Unfortunately, I do not eat bacon or goose, and poutine tacos are right out. Instead, I whipped up some extremely basic - and thoroughly American - tacos that you can enjoy while supporting any nation’s team you like.

    These tacos are similar to Taco 009, but let’s just pretend they are new and exciting. They are also extremely quick, which is perfect for when people drop by and you need to toss something together. A little “semi-homemade” to be sure - but isn’t that American too?

    [Almost] Classic American Tacos
    INGREDIENTS
    vegetable oil
    one packet of ground soy meat, original flavor
    one packet of pre-mixed “taco seasoning” from the store
    salsa (mine was homemade tomato-chipotle from this book)
    water
    cheese (such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
    lettuce
    crunchy taco shells
    beer & margaritas (to taste)

    PROCEDURE
    1. Prepare margaritas, if having. This food comes together quickly, so you want all that lime-squeezing and drink mixing out of the way.
    2. Shred up the lettuce and grate cheese. Put these in appropriate little dishes and set aside.
    3. Put a small amount of oil into a smallish or medium-sized skillet. Heat over medium-high until shimmering.
    4. Place block of ground soy in the pan and quickly break it up with a fork until it vaguely resembles ground meat - or at least no longer looks like a brick. Working quickly, add the “taco seasoning” packet, and a couple of spoonfuls of salsa. Mush that all around in there.
    5. Have about one cup of water ready. Once you have mushed the spice and salsa in, add the water incrementally until you get a moisture/sauciness level that you like.
    6. Put the meat in a bowl and let people get to work assembling their tacos. Let them harbor no illusions that a taco like this could be bought in Mexico. USA NUMBER ONE.