An Inspired Cook

When I first discovered taquitos they were made with ground beef.  These days you will find them filled with shredded chicken or beef and pulled pork.  While they are all delicious, I find the ground beef taquitos a classic.  And the salsa to dip them in is what makes them taste so good.  You have to be choosy when picking corn tortillas for wrapping taquitos.  They need to be thin and stone ground.  If you have soft tortillas they are more likely to tear when rolling and won’t crisp they way they should.  Bueno is my brand of choice here in NM.  They are stone ground and a larger tortilla which is always a plus in making taquitos.  Pan frying the tortillas in oil before rolling them is also key.  Never blot the oil from the tortilla, this is what helps create that crisp texture when baking.  Taquitos also freeze well, just double or triple the filling and tortillas and have them whenever you want.

Start with browning the ground beef.  One pound of ground beef makes approximately 12 – 15 taquitos.

Brown the ground beef or medium high heat.  If necessary drain any excess oil from the beef.  Generously sprinkle seasoning over the beef and stir.

Pictured is my burrito seasoning and 3 cans of salsa.  They are all excellent but each gives the ground beef a different taste.  If you like it mild, go with the Salsa Verde, it’s flavorful and tangy with the flavors of green chile and tomatillos.  For tacos and burritos I suggest trying Salsa Casera, it’s like Rotel but spicier and better.  El Pato is more tomato sauce than salsa and my personal favorite for taquitos, however you can’t go wrong with any of these three.

Pour one can per 1 pound of beef.  Then let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Are you ready to roll!

Choose a firm stone ground tortilla, usually they are very thin and stiff.

Heat up a pan over medium high heat and drizzle oil in the pan, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  Lay the tortilla in the pan.  You can see and hear it start to sizzle and maybe even air bubbles form, usually 30 seconds or so.  I usually drizzle the top of the tortilla with oil then turn it over and fry 15 seconds more.  You will need to add just a drizzle of oil for each tortilla before frying.

Place your tortillas in a tortilla keeper or something with a lid so that they keep warm as you continue frying the rest.  When you have your tortillas ready to go, place one flat on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  It still has that sheen of oil on it and will crisp up nicely.

Add 2 heaping spoons full of seasoned ground beef. Wrap the bottom part of the tortilla around the ground beef and continue to roll it up.

Secure with toothpicks and lay on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and cook 15 minutes.

Turn them over with the toothpick side down and back in the oven they go for 15 minutes more or until they are crispy.

Add some Chile de Arbol Salsa to dip them in.  They are as addictive as chips and salsa, once you start it’s hard to stop!

Seasoned Beef Taquitos

1 pound Ground Beef
12-15 Corn Tortillas
Olive oil for frying tortillas
1/2 teaspoon Ancho Chile, ground
1/2 teaspoon Guajillo Chile, ground
1/2 teaspoon Green Chile Salt (1/4 teaspoon Green Chile Powder to 1/4 teaspoon Salt)
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Corriander
1/8 teaspoon Chile de Arbol, ground
1 (7 3/4 ounce can) El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce
Chile de Arbol Salsa or your salsa of choice

Prepare ground beef in a medium pan over medium high heat.  Brown the ground beef and drain excess oil if needed.  Add spices to the beef and stir to combine.  Stir in the can of salsa and turn the heat down to simmer.  Let simmer 15 minutes.

Heat a small skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.  Pan fry the tortillas one at a time adding a drizzle of olive oil before adding each one.  Heat for just a few seconds on each side, just enough to make them pliable, and to absorb some of the oil.  Set aside the tortillas in a tortilla keeper, but do no blot the oils.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay a tortilla flat and add approximately 2 heaping spoons full of filling to the center of the tortilla, roll the tortilla around the filling and secure with a toothpick.  Arrange on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Continue filling and wrapping the taquitos until you’ve used all the seasoned ground beef.  You should be make to fill 12 – 15 taquitos.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the taquitos over to cook the other side an additional 15 minutes or until the tortillas are crisp and browned.

Serve with Chile de Arbol salsa.