Mom's Tacos

Mom’s Tacos

Long time ago my mother made the best tacos!!! Many of my high school friends and family who came to our house had tacos at different times. There were many contests to see who could eat the most! Quite a few of my brothers' friends along with my brothers could eat 12 each at a sitting no problem. My mother would roll, fry and serve them up! We also made salsa then, no store bought. Simple salsa: chopped some green onions, with canned tomatoes and a small can of Ortega@ diced chilies. On the way going home with our bag of groceries, I loved the smell of the green onions, even though I didn't like them back then. We also bought fresh corn tortillas from LaTolteca in Azusa.

My mom would have two pans going. One for the meat and one to fry up the tacos. She would put some meat on a tortilla, roll it up,put a toothpick in it and then fry it. After the frying, they would go on a plate, dozens of them and we would take out the toothpick, put salsa and lettuce and tomato in one side and eat them up. Yum!!!

I no longer fry the tortillas, mostly just heat one up add the lettuce, tomato, cheese and salsa. We never use to put cheese in our tacos, I don't know why, we just didn't.

Here is the taco recipe:

Chopped up 2-3 celery stalks

½ to 1 whole onion, diced and chopped, (depending on how much you like or if the onion is big or small)

To these add and put in a cast iron skillet or fry pan:

1 pound ground hamburger

After the hamburger is browned,

then put in the following spices:

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper, I like freshly ground

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ to ½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon season salt, like Lawry’s ® brand or store brand

1/3package (about 1 tablespoon) of La Tiara’s ® Taco Seasoning mix (this is the mix I have found that reminds me of the spices my mother used in her taco meat, but you can use want you want). Also if you want spicier you can add more. *My mom never used a mix, it was only the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder, until Lawry's came out with the season salt.

Let all of this simmer about 5 minutes, I do add water to the meat to soak up the juices of the meat. I add 1 tablespoon at a time up to 4 tablespoons, to line the bottom of the skillet.. After the water has evaporated then the meat is ready.

Make the tacos how you wish. With corn tortillas or floured, fried or just heat up a tortilla and fill. Yum!