Tacos de Res, Frijoles de Olla, y Arroz Amarillo

Tonight was Mexican food night here, and it turned out delicioso! Amazingly, tri-tip beef is available at Coborn’s Grocery in Ramsey, so that’s what I used, but I think that a “sirloin tip roast” is a similar cut, and easier to find.

Meat:

Put your meat in the freezer for an hour or two, so that it gets firm but not frozen through. Slice as thin as possible, against the grain, with a sharp knife. Marinate with:

Some chopped onion or shallot
2-3 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Coca-Cola (preferably Mexican style, with sugar instead of corn syrup)
1 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Mix the meat around from time to time when it’s marinating. I keep it at room temp so it absorbs more flavor and cooks faster. When you cook it, heat a large frying pan up as hot as you can get it and add a generous dollop of lard or shortening, and cook as briefly as possible. Serve immediately on hot corn tortillas.

The most traditional way to serve the tacos is with diced onion, cilantro, radish slices, and salsa verde. I recommend avoiding the gringo-style iceberg lettuce and grated cheese.

Beans:

1 lb. red beans, soaked overnight or quick-soaked
6 strips of bacon, sliced into bits
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. epazote (optional)
salt and pepper

Mine weren’t frijoles de olla, so much as frijoles de pressure cooker, but the end result was the same. In your pot, cook the back until it just starts to get crisp. Add the red pepper flakes and the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the beans, garlic powder, and epazote. Epazote is an herb in the lambs-quarters family from Mexico that is traditionally added to beans to reduce flatulence and kill intestinal worms (supposedly). Cover the beans with water and cook for 1-2 hours until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper. (In the PC this only takes about 10 minutes).

Rice:

I think I’ve posted this before, but basically cook your rice with chicken broth, adobo powder, turmeric, butter, and salt, and then mix in some finely chopped cilantro at the end.