Beef Tacos Americano!

Fish taco recipe can be found here:
 http://little-italian-lady.blogspot.com/2012/02/fried-fish-tacos.html

If you know me well, you know that I LOVE Mexican food! In fact, my second favorite cuisine is Mexican (obviously next to Italian). I've always enjoyed going for Mexican night with friends. Such a happy place to be! Well, kind of recently, I invented my version of beef tacos (my fav kind) and not to be biased, I actually prefer these over any I've had at a restaurant. The recipe calls for lots of ingredients - required to make these super tasty and juicy. The longer you cook this slowly, the tastier the beef gets.

I recommend drinking a Pacifico + lime with this.  :)

Ingredients: Makes 5-7 Tacos

• 1 lb Ground Sirloin (I use 90% lean)
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Diced
• 1/2  can/bottle of dark beer
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• Sliced Jarred Jalapeno Peppers, ~6 slices, diced (add more or less depending on how much heat you want)
• 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2-3/4 tbs Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tbs Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 Fresh Lime, Squeezed

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, heat up the oil and add in the diced garlic. Let it sizzle a bit and add in the meat, breaking it up with your spatula and mixing it into the oil/garlic. Once meat is cooked half way, add in the beer and mix together. Let simmer for 5 minutes, until most of the beer is cooked off. Add in the can of diced tomatoes and break up the tomatoes with your spatula (do this through out the cooking process, leaving no big chunks of tomatoes by the time you are done cooking). Add in the jalapenos and rest of the ingredients, stirring as you add each one - red pepper, black pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, and squeezed lime. Cook over medium/low heat for about 45-60 min, stirring occasionally. So a taste test to see if you need more salt / pepper, etc.

Cook until 95% of juice is evaporated

Once taco meat is done, warm up flour tortillas (either on a skillet or in microwave) or use hard shells, and serve with meat, grated Wisconsin cheddar (a must - the best!), chopped lettuce - or your toppings of choice. Preferred sides: refried beans, guac, Spanish rice. (find my guacamole recipe here: http://little-italian-lady.blogspot.com/2012/02/guacamole-mole-mole-mole.html)