by Kelly J. Larson

When you live in Austin, Texas, every day is Taco Tuesday. There are more taco places and taco varieties here than bluebonnets in the springtime. I am a fan of the crazy, funky hard to pronounce tacos, but there’s something about a regular ol’ crispy beef taco that makes me (and the family) do a little happy dance.

Think basic Taco Cabana or Taco Bell crispy beef taco, but cooked at home — even the tortilla. If you’re in a hurry or the thought of heating up a jug of oil sounds daunting, swap the tortilla frying step and go with ready-to-eat taco shells, soft flour or corn tortillas.

Honestly, cooking the taco shells is kind of pain, but the fresh flavor is worth it. The task may seem huge, but it goes by relatively quickly. Besides, there’s nothing quite as awesome as freshly cooked corn tortillas for tacos, tostadas or chips and salsa.

Crispy Beef Tacos

Cook the tortillas first (see tips below), then prepare the toppings. Cooking the beef goes fast and you’ll want to save that step for last to enjoy hot tacos, ready to eat.

Taco Shells

• 16 soft corn tortillas

• vegetable oil for frying

Toppings

• 2 cups thinly sliced green leaf lettuce

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup salsa (pictured with green tomatillo salsa)

Taco Meat

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1-1/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons dried chopped onions

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Cook beef in a skillet on medium high heat until browned. Drain off excess fat. Add all the spices and water and cook until the water has evaporated and cooked into the meat.  Fill each taco shell with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 16 tacos.

Frying corn tortillas

Pour a 48-ounce bottle of vegetable oil into a sauce pan on medium heat. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature. When the oil gets to 350 F degrees, put tortilla into the hot oil one at a time. After a few seconds, use tongs to fold tortilla in half to create a taco shell. Flip onto both sides or keep it submerged until crispy. Drain excess oil while tortilla cools on a paper towel. Repeat until all the tortillas are fried. Store in airtight container.