tacos

it's getting to be that time of year when preparing slow roasted meats or dishes in the slow cooker sound wonderful. this recipe was inspired by a dish we saw on diners, drive-ins & dives from a fantastic looking mexican place in cleveland - slow cooked brisket, shredded and served as yummy tacos! and it's the perfect dish to smother with this roasted tomatillo salsa.

excited to go apple picking with a friend from out of town this week and to check out this farm stand. also had an amazing day wandering among sculptures and beautiful fall colors in the hudson valley here - definitely worth the drive out of the city!

happy weekend!

Braised Beef Tacos

serves 4 to 6

for beef:

3 1/2 lb beef brisket

3 tbs ground coffee

2 tbs kosher salt

1 tsp jalapeno powder

1 tsp ground chipolte chile

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 large onion, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves

3 sticks mexican cinnamon

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 lime, juiced

for tacos:

1 tbs olive oil

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbs heavy cream

1 tbs dried oregano

corn tortillas

tomatillo salsa

cotija cheese

avocado

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. in a small bowl, combine coffee, salt, jalapeno powder and chile powder and mix. rub all over brisket to coat well.

heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil. sear meat on each side until nicely browned. add remaining ingredients plus 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. cover and transfer pot to oven and cook for 3 hours or until tender. remove meat from broth and set aside until cool enough to shred. strain liquid and return to pot. simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. stir shredded meat into broth and keep warm.

heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. add peppers, onion and garlic and saute 10 minutes or until softened. stir in heavy cream and oregano.

for each taco, top a warm corn tortilla with about 1/4 cup meat, a few tablespoons of stewed peppers and onions, salsa, cheese and avocado. enjoy!

green sauce

a quick hello and a very simple recipe for a great roasted tomatillo salsa. stop by later this week for a great machaca taco recipe . . . a perfect place to use this not too spicy tangy green sauce! it's also great on huevos rancheros, yum. the green market this weekend was in full autumn mode and has inspired lots of cooking on our few and far between days off.

we've been working on loads of fun projects lately and can't wait to share some new tears. (like the thanksgiving desserts spread i styled in the new EDRR - pick it up!) remember when we made homemade worcestershire here? well, we were making bloody marys with our friend dimity recently and it inspired her to post this. we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week but still haven't gone out to dinner to celebrate - any suggestions for a fun new spot in nyc? happy monday!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

makes 2 1/2 cups

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped

10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, scrubbed and quartered

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. toss onion, jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together on a large baking sheet. roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until softened and lightly charred. transfer to a blender with lime juice and cilantro and blend until combined and smooth with a few chunks remaining. serve warm or room temperature & enjoy!

beef, it's what's for dinner

looking back on recent posts, we realized that we haven't shared many beef recipes. with weather warming up, bbq season fast approaching and cinco de mayo just around the corner, we thought this simple marinade for easy & fresh carne asada tacos sounded perfect. you are welcome to throw in some sour cream, pico de gallo or any of your favorite taco garnishes but we wanted to keep this recipe basic and fresh, just like the delicious tacos we get at our local taqueria or taco truck. enjoy these tasty tacos on a warm afternoon with good friends and a great margarita!

Carne Asada Tacos

for the carne asada:

1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1 red onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 orange, juiced

1 chipolte chili in adobo, chopped

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs ground cumin

1 tbs olive oil

place flank steak and all remaining marinade ingredients in a large zip lock bag and massage to evenly distribute flavors over meat. refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour and up to 6 hours. preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. grill steak approximately 3 minutes per side, or until center reaches 145 degrees F, for medium doneness. let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

for the tacos:

1 1/2 lbs grilled & sliced carne asada

8 corn tortillas, warmed

1/2 onion, diced

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, pitted, peeled & sliced

1-2 limes, cut into wedges

to assemble taco, place a few slices of steak in warmed tortilla and top with avocado, onions and cilantro. squeeze generously with juice from lime wedges.

breakfast of champions

did anyone happen to read this article on sunday? it reminded me that i still had half a bag of anasazi beans in the cupboard leftover from this recipe. chilaquiles is basically soggy tortilla chips - so the first time a friend said we absolutely had to have them at la super rica, julia child's favorite taqueria, we didn't jump at the offer. but after the first spicy, soggy, crispy, sweet mouthful, we were hooked. there are loads of recipes out there and they all add a little something different - eggs, beans, shredded chicken, salsa verde, etc. here's the recipe we made for breakfast this morning and can't stop talking about!

Breakfast Chilaquiles

serves 2

1/3 cup olive oil

5 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 triangles

1 cup homemade or store bought salsa (more liquid, less chunks works best)

3/4 cup drained, cooked beans such as anasazi

2 green onions, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

avocado, sour cream & fresh cilantro for garnish

in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. fry the tortillas, turning constantly with tongs, until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. carefully add salsa - it will splatter and bubble. cook for 2 minutes, turning constantly, until tortillas soak up most of the salsa. add beans, stir to combine and keep warm on low heat. in a small skillet, cook green onion over medium high heat for 1 minute until wilted. add eggs and scramble, stirring constantly. stir in cheese about 30 seconds before eggs are finished cooking. to serve, divide tortilla bean mixture between two plates. top with scrambled eggs and garnish with diced avocado, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. enjoy! 

huevos

mexican food is one of those cuisines we can't eat too often - breakfast, lunch or dinner! and we probably take for granted that we live in a town with fantastic authentic mexican food all around us. here's our take on huevos rancheros - it uses a roasted tomatillo sauce instead of pico de gallo or a tomato based salsa. it's nice and mild so add a little heat with your favorite mexican hot sauce or up the amount of jalepeno.

Huevos Rancheros Verde

3 cloves garlic

2 onions, cut into chunks

1 jalepeno, seeded & roughly chopped

2 pasilla chilies, seeded & roughly chopped

14 tomatillos, husk removed & quartered

3 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

3 limes, juiced

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 tbs white wine vinegar

4 small corn tortillas, warmed

1 can black beans

4 large eggs

1/2 cup queso fresco

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. on a sheet pan, toss garlic, onions, jalepeno, pasillas, and tomatillos with olive oil and salt. roast 25-30 minutes, until soft and slightly brown on the edges. let cool slightly and blend with lime juice, chicken stock, a handful of cilantro, and vinegar. season with salt and pepper to taste. to serve, place a warm tortilla on a plate. spoon tomatillo sauce on tortilla, sprinkle with black beans, top with a sunny-side up egg and garnish with queso fresco and chopped cilantro. the recipe makes more tomatillo salsa than needed for 4 servings but keeps well in the refrigerator and is good on almost everything!