First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for the
Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices but
just can't any suggestions?

Marc

"Marc" > wrote in message
news
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for
the
> Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices
but
> just can't any suggestions?
>
> Marc
>
When you use the term 'traditional' you are opening the door to Pandora's
Box for all of us in this newsgroup. In my opinion traditional refers to the
place where you are. If you want traditional tamales in San Francisco you
will open a can of cooked cornmeal with gravy and a black olive in the
middle. If you think traditional tamale from the city of Puebla, you will
get a cornhusk lathered with fluffy cornmeal surrounding red or green salsa
with chicken or pork and will have nothing whatsoever to do with the San
Francisco tamale.

Traditional tacos stemming from the interior of Mexico are normally soft
tortillas filled with flank steaks chopped into thin pieces ladled in the
middle of the tortilla and the customer adds salsas, herbs and chile as
required. No ground beef, ever! Or deep fried pork pieces with any number of
stuff on the basic taco and rolled to eat like a hot dog.

Universally Mexican tacos are filled with meats that have not been heavily
seasoned. The customer will add the quantity and quality of the filling from
the many selections available to them which usually include red sauce, green
sauce, tree chile sauce, cilantro, radishes, toasted green onions, lime,
salt, pepper, fresh chiles such as serrano or jalapeno, pickled jalapeno,
etc.

So, where are you so that people who know that part of the world can advise
you on traditional sauces and flavorings.

Wayne

Atlanta, but have lived in Corpus Christi, TX and Houston, TX - got to eat
at the original Ninfas - what a great Mexican resturant. But I'm looking
for the seasoning of the meat in standard Mexican resturant. Again
ambiguity - but the meat seems to be the same everywhere I've gone so maybe
I am making it to complex and it is just ground beef but there seems to be
some spice there it's not chili powder or cumin. And I guess I should have
said Tex/Mex.

Marc

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Marc" > wrote in message
> news
> > First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for
> the
> > Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices
> but
> > just can't any suggestions?
> >
> > Marc
> >
> When you use the term 'traditional' you are opening the door to Pandora's
> Box for all of us in this newsgroup. In my opinion traditional refers to
the
> place where you are. If you want traditional tamales in San Francisco you
> will open a can of cooked cornmeal with gravy and a black olive in the
> middle. If you think traditional tamale from the city of Puebla, you will
> get a cornhusk lathered with fluffy cornmeal surrounding red or green
salsa
> with chicken or pork and will have nothing whatsoever to do with the San
> Francisco tamale.
>
> Traditional tacos stemming from the interior of Mexico are normally soft
> tortillas filled with flank steaks chopped into thin pieces ladled in the
> middle of the tortilla and the customer adds salsas, herbs and chile as
> required. No ground beef, ever! Or deep fried pork pieces with any number
of
> stuff on the basic taco and rolled to eat like a hot dog.
>
> Universally Mexican tacos are filled with meats that have not been heavily
> seasoned. The customer will add the quantity and quality of the filling
from
> the many selections available to them which usually include red sauce,
green
> sauce, tree chile sauce, cilantro, radishes, toasted green onions, lime,
> salt, pepper, fresh chiles such as serrano or jalapeno, pickled jalapeno,
> etc.
>
> So, where are you so that people who know that part of the world can
advise
> you on traditional sauces and flavorings.
>
> Wayne
>
>

Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) wrote:
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not
> looking for the Old El Paso seasoning mix.

Ground beef? Oh, no!

Maybe tacos are traditionally made with ground beef in Texas, like
Tex-Mex and "chili con carne", but, come on, Marc! This is
alt.food.MEXICAN-cooking!

Don't let Taco Bell or Del Taco limit your imagination, those places
were started by two *gringos* from San Bernardino, CA!

Pick a meat, sliced or shredded beef, pork, lamb, goat, or chicken...

Chop your meat in big chunks and saute it or you can make a tinga out
of any of those meats by boiling them for about an hour and a half,
then frying them in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and
stirring constantly until the meat shreds...

You could add dry red chile powder or green chile powder to the tinga,
a clove of garlic, maybe some onions, tomatillos, and some powdered
cumin...

You could even process your own chiles, getting rid of the veins and
seeds and running them through a blender...

Pick a chile, red or green. How hot do you like your chile, mild, like
a serrano or an ortega, intermediate, like a pasilla or jalapeno or hot
enough to make your eyes water, your face sweat and your nose run like
a habanero?

Or, you could fill your taco with tuna, or clams, or oysters, or crab,
or lobster or shrimp and use some milder sauce that would go with
seafood...

Nice fresh juicy shrimp have a strong enough flavor they won't be
overwhelmed by a mild green chile sauce. Fresh crab would be excellent
in the same sauce...

Start by understanding that a taco is an antojito, a snack food that
can be picked up and eaten out of your hand and there are many more
tacos than were ever conceived of by those gringos in San Bernardino...

Antojito The word antojito comes from the Spanish word antojo which
means whim

Tacos are basically tortillas wrapped around a filling. They are
usually defined by either the type of filling, the type of tortilla
(corn or flour) and whether the taco is fried or not.

Tacos de ma=EDz are tacos made with corn tortillas and tacos de harina
with flour tortillas.

Envueltos Another name for tacos that are filled and fried.

Papadzules These are the enchiladas or soft tacos from the Yucatan that
are filled with hardboiled egg and topped with both tomato and pumkin
seed sauces.

Tacos al pastor These tacos are filled with thin slices of marinated
pork cooked on vertical spits set beside charcoal, gas or electric heat
sources.

Tacos al carb=F3n This specialty of northern Mexico refers to tacos
filled with charbroiled meats.

Tacos al vapor Tacos whose meat filling, often from a cow or goat's
head is steamed.

Tacos de barbacoa Tacos made from barbacoa.

Tacos de carnitas Tacos made from carnitas.

Tacos de cazuela This refers to tacos filled with ingredients, usually
a stew of some sort, cooked in a cazuela.

Tacos a la plancha Tacos made from meats cooked on a comal or griddle.

Tacos dorados The name of these tacos comes from the golden crisp-fried
corn tortilla which encloses them. Usually the filling is of shredded
meat.

Tacos sudados o de canasta "Sweated or basket" tacos get their name
from the fact that they are prepared, often with a stewed, shredded
filling, then placed between towels in a basket to keep them warm until
they are consumed.

Have you had Tex/Mex with mamacita working the kitchen? Don't be to quick
to judge - GRASSHOPPER! I don't think you read my post because I DON'T WANT
the Old El Paso stuff. Many of the recipes I see here I've been making for
a long time and I picked them all up in Tex/Mex resturants. And while I
speak barely any "Mexican" I do know the words for the foods.

Marc

"krusty kritter" > wrote in message
oups.com...


Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) wrote:
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not
> looking for the Old El Paso seasoning mix.

Ground beef? Oh, no!

Maybe tacos are traditionally made with ground beef in Texas, like
Tex-Mex and "chili con carne", but, come on, Marc! This is
alt.food.MEXICAN-cooking!

Don't let Taco Bell or Del Taco limit your imagination, those places
were started by two *gringos* from San Bernardino, CA!

Pick a meat, sliced or shredded beef, pork, lamb, goat, or chicken...

Chop your meat in big chunks and saute it or you can make a tinga out
of any of those meats by boiling them for about an hour and a half,
then frying them in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and
stirring constantly until the meat shreds...

You could add dry red chile powder or green chile powder to the tinga,
a clove of garlic, maybe some onions, tomatillos, and some powdered
cumin...

You could even process your own chiles, getting rid of the veins and
seeds and running them through a blender...

Pick a chile, red or green. How hot do you like your chile, mild, like
a serrano or an ortega, intermediate, like a pasilla or jalapeno or hot
enough to make your eyes water, your face sweat and your nose run like
a habanero?

Or, you could fill your taco with tuna, or clams, or oysters, or crab,
or lobster or shrimp and use some milder sauce that would go with
seafood...

Nice fresh juicy shrimp have a strong enough flavor they won't be
overwhelmed by a mild green chile sauce. Fresh crab would be excellent
in the same sauce...

Start by understanding that a taco is an antojito, a snack food that
can be picked up and eaten out of your hand and there are many more
tacos than were ever conceived of by those gringos in San Bernardino...

Antojito The word antojito comes from the Spanish word antojo which
means whim

Tacos are basically tortillas wrapped around a filling. They are
usually defined by either the type of filling, the type of tortilla
(corn or flour) and whether the taco is fried or not.

Tacos de maíz are tacos made with corn tortillas and tacos de harina
with flour tortillas.

Envueltos Another name for tacos that are filled and fried.

Papadzules These are the enchiladas or soft tacos from the Yucatan that
are filled with hardboiled egg and topped with both tomato and pumkin
seed sauces.

Tacos al pastor These tacos are filled with thin slices of marinated
pork cooked on vertical spits set beside charcoal, gas or electric heat
sources.

Tacos al carbón This specialty of northern Mexico refers to tacos
filled with charbroiled meats.

Tacos al vapor Tacos whose meat filling, often from a cow or goat's
head is steamed.

Tacos de barbacoa Tacos made from barbacoa.

Tacos de carnitas Tacos made from carnitas.

Tacos de cazuela This refers to tacos filled with ingredients, usually
a stew of some sort, cooked in a cazuela.

Tacos a la plancha Tacos made from meats cooked on a comal or griddle.

Tacos dorados The name of these tacos comes from the golden crisp-fried
corn tortilla which encloses them. Usually the filling is of shredded
meat.

Tacos sudados o de canasta "Sweated or basket" tacos get their name
from the fact that they are prepared, often with a stewed, shredded
filling, then placed between towels in a basket to keep them warm until
they are consumed.

Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) wrote:
> Have you had Tex/Mex with mamacita working the kitchen>

I don't eat Tex-Mex. It tastes like somebody used the ground beef to
put out a cigarette...

Again, this is alt.food.mexican-cooking, not alt.tex-mex

Marc wrote:

>Atlanta, but have lived in Corpus Christi, TX and Houston, TX - got to eat
>at the original Ninfas - what a great Mexican resturant. But I'm looking
>for the seasoning of the meat in standard Mexican resturant. Again
>ambiguity - but the meat seems to be the same everywhere I've gone so maybe
>I am making it to complex and it is just ground beef but there seems to be
>some spice there it's not chili powder or cumin. And I guess I should have
>said Tex/Mex.
>
>Marc
>
>
>
If it's not chili or cumin, about the only thing left would be oregano.

Bubba

--
You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?

"krusty kritter" > wrote in message
oups.com...


Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) wrote:
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not
> looking for the Old El Paso seasoning mix.

Ground beef? Oh, no!

Maybe tacos are traditionally made with ground beef in Texas, like
Tex-Mex and "chili con carne", but, come on, Marc! This is
alt.food.MEXICAN-cooking!

..---snip---

Excellent review! My favorite of all tacos in the world is barbacoa with
salsa borracha, cilantro and guacamole with fresh corn tortillas right off
the comal. A Dos Equis on the side makes it complete. And if a Jarocho band
is playing somewhere in the distance with the requinto well tuned.... Heaven
on earth!

Ever been to the Puentecito or the Arroyo south of the DF just before the
road to Cuernavaca? Or how about the Texcoco open market on any given
Sunday?

Wayne

Wayne Lundberg wrote:

> Ever been to the Puentecito or the Arroyo south of the DF just before the
> road to Cuernavaca? Or how about the Texcoco open market on any given
> Sunday?

No, I haven't been to those specific places. I was born and raised on
land that was once part of Rancho Mission San Buenaventura. I was
surrounded by Mexicans and Mexican culture from the day I was born. My
friends and neighbors were Mexicans. I grew up eating tacos, tamales
and refritos, but I don't ever remember hearing of a burrito until I
was an adult in the 1970's...

I've been around Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America a bit, and
seen quite a bit there too...

Ensenada was the first place I ever found mole poblano on the recipe...

Besides the Tijuana, Ensenada, San Felipe and Nogales border areas, my
major excursions into Mexico included a week long cruise down the
Mexican riviera to Mazatlan, Manzanillo, and Acapulco. Coming home, I
had to clear customs in Guadalajara and pay my $10 ransom fee. I wonder
what would happen to a tourist that was completely out of cash and
credit? Would the aduana keep him forever?

I went through the mercado and carneceria in Mazatlan. No saran wrap
and styrofoam trays there, just the typical open air shambles...

My friends were afraid of Mexican cooking in Acapulco and thought they
would
be safe eating at Denny's. Surprise, surprise! Denny's didn't serve
quiche and monte carlo sandwiches! I ate huevos albaniles and other
Mexican dishes, while they struggled with pollo al carbon every meal to
be safe from the unknown chile peppers...

I did a Caribbean cruise one Christmas and gained a little insight of
that area and its cooking...

Then I visited Merida, Chichen Itza and Uxmal and sampled Yucatecan
cuisine for the first time. I had huevos motulenos and sopa de lima
there. The trip required us to fly into DF, clear in, and take a
different plane to Merida. Coming back was the Guadalajara business
again, as I recall...

Christmas of that year, I flew down to Miami, across Cuba, and on down
to Panama City, where I took a train across the isthmus of Panama. I
remember eating yuca in PC. Noriega was still in power...

The tour took a small 90-passenger boat over to the San Blas islands,
and returned to PC via the canal. Then it went on to visit two jungle
villages in the Darien and also the Pearl Islands where the Shah of
Iran lived before he died...

Another Christmas holiday found me exploring Cancun, Cozumel, and the
Toltec ruinas of Quintana Roo, via DF, and returning to DF again and
landing in Guadalajara too, as I recall. Cozumel island was the first
place I ever tried cochinita pibil. Yummie!

"krusty kritter" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Wayne Lundberg wrote:
>
---snip to keep thread, but moving ahead---

Krusty Kritter, you sound like the kind of Gringa my wife and I could travel
with! One with an adventure waiting in her soul and willing to taste the
unknown! You certainly have put your finger on most everything you write
about Mexican food.

My self appointed job in this newsgroup, and one that really ticks some
people off, is an attempt to bring some of the cultural aspects of Mexican
food because eating a Mexican meal is like Thanksgiving is in the US. In the
US it's a once a year event, in Mexico it is a daily event or worst case
weekly event in which Sunday becomes the day where politics, music, food,
kids and adults at play, politics, music, food, kids and adults at play....
all come together with the single highlight of FOOD.

I keep insisting, in this newsgroup and others, and in my
www.pueblaprotocol.com that those of us who have taken on the Mexican food
culture, live in order to eat. Whereas most Americans (misnamed if ever a
group of people were misnamed) eat in order to live. Proof? Fast food, get
it fast, eat it fast, go on to the next project. Food is fuel. Nothing else.
In Mexico... lunch is from 2 to 4 when possible. Americans can't see it,
can't conceive of it, can't believe it. It is beyond their paradigm of life.

When I mentioned the barbacoa places in Mexico I only hinted at the menu and
not the occasion. The last time we were at a barbacoa place in Mexico it was
with my wife's father and new wife, my wife, myself and a few others. We
were seated at about 1PM on Sunday, and I think we paid the bill about 4PM.
During those three hours we consumed tequila, beer, a kilo or two of
barbacoa, a kilo or two of tortillas, melted cheese, salsa borracha, a sip
of Mezcal, tipped Jarocho and Jalisco musicians who stopped by to serenade
us... and this is just an ordinary, every day Sunday in Mexico.

By the way.... some years ago we hosted some American friends. Took them to
the beaches at Veracruz, to hidden villages, to many places in Mexico City
and always eating with the locals either at the markets or open stands on
the streets. The only time they got sick was when they insisted on a Denny's
type restaurant.

Looking forward to more of your insight and experiences.

Wayne
PS - Will be on a Carnival Spirit cruise this fall to Acapulco, Zihuatanejo,
Manzanillo.

I think Marc is asking those who do eat Tacos with groud beef, what spices
are used..he realizes that Tacos elsewhere are made with many types of meat.
Of most the mexican food places i have ever eaten, the tacos have been made
with ground beef, except for a few taco stands which use shredded beef.
From what i can tell, there is always onion and cumin...when i cant afford
shedded beef, I use ground beef and uses onion, cumin, salt, garlic powder,
black pepper, chili powder and sometimes cornstarch to thicken...Marc, What
i would do is jsut ask the cook of the restaurant you like.. jazzcat



"Marc" > wrote in message
news
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for
> the
> Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices
> but
> just can't any suggestions?
>
> Marc
>
>

"jazzcat" > wrote in message
news:tcLne.4$mC.2@okepread07...
> I think Marc is asking those who do eat Tacos with groud beef, what spices
> are used..he realizes that Tacos elsewhere are
---snip----
Point taken. The problem here is the huge difference between north of the
border and south of the border customs. For south of the border meats are
generally not seasoned except for a bit of marinating on carne asada, al
pastor and carnitas. The seasoning comes when the eater selects a sauce from
the variety available on the table.

North of the border where hamburger and ground everything is readily
available, requires that something be done to improve the taste of raw
turkey or raw beef or raw anything and so you have sauces. Like chile con
carne. But you don't put chile con carne in a taco... in most places.

The hot, picante chile, you find in Mexican restaurants both north and
south, usually provide the eater with the right seasoning just like when we
eat a hamburger and add ketchup, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard,
jalapeno relish and then more ketchup.

So think hamburger, and what would you add to ground beef tacos? Be
imaginative. Worcestershire? Tabasco? Ketchup?

Wayne
Mexican food, anyway I can get it, from Pike's market in Seattle to Cancun
Mexico!

www.pueblaprotocol.com

Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> "jazzcat" > wrote in message
> news:tcLne.4$mC.2@okepread07...
>
>>I think Marc is asking those who do eat Tacos with groud beef, what spices
>>are used..he realizes that Tacos elsewhere are
>
> ---snip----
> Point taken. The problem here is the huge difference between north of the
> border and south of the border customs. For south of the border meats are
> generally not seasoned except for a bit of marinating on carne asada, al
> pastor and carnitas. The seasoning comes when the eater selects a sauce from
> the variety available on the table.
>
> North of the border where hamburger and ground everything is readily
> available, requires that something be done to improve the taste of raw
> turkey or raw beef or raw anything and so you have sauces. Like chile con
> carne. But you don't put chile con carne in a taco... in most places.
>
> The hot, picante chile, you find in Mexican restaurants both north and
> south, usually provide the eater with the right seasoning just like when we
> eat a hamburger and add ketchup, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard,
> jalapeno relish and then more ketchup.
>
> So think hamburger, and what would you add to ground beef tacos? Be
> imaginative. Worcestershire? Tabasco? Ketchup?
>
> Wayne
> Mexican food, anyway I can get it, from Pike's market in Seattle to Cancun
> Mexico!
>
> www.pueblaprotocol.com
>
>

I was doing some flight training in a small rural town in Tennessee.
They were talking about going to lunch one day in class and mentioned a
Mexican food place. This was nearly 20 years ago and way before the huge
migration of Hispanics accross the country, especially in Tennessee.

I asked if it was real Mexican food and the instructor replied in his
Southern drawl, "Dam right! they even use ground beef!". Holding back my
laughter I went to lunch with them and was polite. The place wasn't even
close to a taco bell standard. More like a terrible rendition of a Betty
Crocker/Velveeta concept but they thought it was terrific! For chips
they actually served Doritos. So we may need to dig further to discover
where the original misconception of authentic vs. ground beef began.

In article >, Sonoran Dude
> wrote:



> they actually served Doritos. So we may need to dig further to discover
> where the original misconception of authentic vs. ground beef began.


I don't really know, but I can make a good guess. If somebody actually
knows, feel free to put me in my place.

The pace of life is slower in parts of Mexico than it is in the US.
Cooking meats slowly isn't done as much in the US due to time
constraints. It's pretty easy to cook up that hamburger and get dinner on
the table in less than an hour. Grinding meat is a good way to tenderize
it and make it cook quickly.

Rural Mexico is much less mechanized than the US. Machines for grinding
meat and then refrigerating it would be less common, not to mention the
electricity to run them. Even manually ground meat is a disaster without
refrigeration.

Finally, ground meat just isn't in the culture of Mexico. It hasn't been
done that way. Ground meat in the US is part of all sorts of food, from
hamburgers to meat loaf to casseroles. It isn't surprising that US cooks
took Mexican recipes and converted them to use hamburger. It's cheap,
easy and fast.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS

Great memory! Good story!

Ground beef happened because of two things. One, beef in the Americas which
happend shortly after the conquest. But grinding beef before cooking came
only after the introduction of the grinder.

We had one of the first in Mexico back in the early 40's and used it mostly
to grind corn into maza which replaced the metate and made the kitchen a
much more plesant place for the help. But even then it was hard to get the
women away from the metate and go mechanical.

To this day I can't remember a single recipe for ground beef in Mexico.
Desebrado, ropa vieja, and the like yest. But not ground anything except
corn for maza.

Wayne

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
[...]
> My self appointed job in this newsgroup, and one that really ticks some
> people off, is an attempt to bring some of the cultural aspects of Mexican
> food because eating a Mexican meal is like Thanksgiving is in the US. In
> the
> US it's a once a year event, in Mexico it is a daily event or worst case
> weekly event in which Sunday becomes the day where politics, music, food,
> kids and adults at play, politics, music, food, kids and adults at
> play....
> all come together with the single highlight of FOOD.


Wayne, I love your posts here. Always nice reading.

I must say, though, that you make it seem like one cannot have fantastic
food experiences in Mexico unless one has *lots* of friends, relatives,
party-people-in-the-house, whatever in your company.

That's simply not true. I've had plenty of fabulous food experiences in
Mexico all on my own. Would it have been improved by having a party all
around me? Sure. But, unless you are willing to introduce me to your
circle, your harping on the festival aspect of Mexico is of no help to some
of us. Sounds almost like bragging.

Peter

It may sound like bragging to you, but the reality is that even when eating
alone, at lets say a taco stand, there will be a lot of people eating there
as well. Simply because you do not eat a place with no customers. That is a
sure sign that somebody got sick there and the world of mouth spreads like
wildfire. So the culture is quite simple: Eat where the Mexicans eat. And
when you are elbowing your way to the counter to order your "Tres de cabeza
con todo y un refresco de naranja" you will be in the midst of a group of
peple enjoying the tacos and sharing with slurps and smiles.

Same in the market where the small kitchen restaurants cook and serve as you
share a small table with others. Conversations get going really fast even
when the language is not common. All you have to do is express a desire by
starting with a smile and nodding hello. Then you start talking about the
food.

Wayne

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> It may sound like bragging to you, but the reality is that even when
eating
> alone, at lets say a taco stand, there will be a lot of people eating
there
> as well. Simply because you do not eat a place with no customers. That is
a
> sure sign that somebody got sick there and the world of mouth spreads like
> wildfire. So the culture is quite simple:
> Eat where the Mexicans eat.

Sounds to me like you missed Peter's point entirely.

Charlie

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> It may sound like bragging to you, but the reality is that even when
> eating
> alone, at lets say a taco stand, there will be a lot of people eating
> there
> as well. Simply because you do not eat a place with no customers. That is
> a
> sure sign that somebody got sick there and the world of mouth spreads like
> wildfire. So the culture is quite simple: Eat where the Mexicans eat. And
> when you are elbowing your way to the counter to order your "Tres de
> cabeza
> con todo y un refresco de naranja" you will be in the midst of a group of
> peple enjoying the tacos and sharing with slurps and smiles.


I understand that. But what I'm saying is, the best tacos I've ever had
were in Tlacolula, Oaxaca, on market day. There was a little tacquito stand
there, serving tacquitos al pastor. Of course there were Mexicans ordering
from the stand. But there were no chairs or tables. You got your tacos,
then walked off to explore the market, eating on the way. So, it would have
been hard to share smiles--we were busy eating and looking around the
market. Still, those were the best tacos, even though we weren't eating
like it was Thanksgiving. It's almost like you are pushing a stereotype
with that "every day is Thanksgiving with Mexicans."


> Same in the market where the small kitchen restaurants cook and serve as
> you
> share a small table with others. Conversations get going really fast even
> when the language is not common. All you have to do is express a desire by
> starting with a smile and nodding hello. Then you start talking about the
> food.


Sure. That happens sometimes. Happened to me in Hanoi, where I sat myself
down with the locals at a market stand, where hardly an American treads, and
I struck up a conversation with the surprised regulars, even though I know
only a few phrases in Vietnamese. Bonding with guys wearing Vietnam-War-era
military uniforms and helmets was a great experience. And that certainly
made the food taste better. But I've also had incredible food experiences
in Vietnam all on my lonesome.

And it's happened to me in China, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden....
It's not a Mexican thing.

Peter

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Sonoran Dude
> > wrote:
>
>
>
> > they actually served Doritos. So we may need to dig further to discover
> > where the original misconception of authentic vs. ground beef began.
>
>
> I don't really know, but I can make a good guess. If somebody actually
> knows, feel free to put me in my place.
>
> The pace of life is slower in parts of Mexico than it is in the US.
> Cooking meats slowly isn't done as much in the US due to time
> constraints. It's pretty easy to cook up that hamburger and get dinner on
> the table in less than an hour. Grinding meat is a good way to tenderize
> it and make it cook quickly.
>
> Rural Mexico is much less mechanized than the US. Machines for grinding
> meat and then refrigerating it would be less common, not to mention the
> electricity to run them. Even manually ground meat is a disaster without
> refrigeration.
>
> Finally, ground meat just isn't in the culture of Mexico. It hasn't been
> done that way. Ground meat in the US is part of all sorts of food, from
> hamburgers to meat loaf to casseroles. It isn't surprising that US cooks
> took Mexican recipes and converted them to use hamburger. It's cheap,
> easy and fast.
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Sonoma State University
> AIS
>

One of the main reasons that I heard from the native population of Juarez,
back in the 60s and 70s was that they were suspicious of ground meat,
because you were unable to 1. identify it, and 2. judge it's freshness.

There were still a lot of open air markets back then, and no USDA to
regulate what went into the ground meat. Back then, only gringos would buy
pre-made chorizo. (The natives preferred Abuela made products.)

Ok, I've been put in my place. Thank you!

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, I've been put in my place. Thank you!


Wayne, I said I love your posts, and I wasn't lying about that.

I simply disagree with your claim that true Mexican food is to be enjoyed in
a party atmosphere. It certainly helps, and it is easier to be had in
Mexico than in lots of other countries, but I still think one can have great
Mexican food experiences all on one's own.

Peace, and I look forward to your next reports, compadre,

Peter

The problem with email and postings is that the words always come out way
too serious. I should have added a happy face or something because I was
agreeing with you

"Peter Dy" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Ok, I've been put in my place. Thank you!
>
>
> Wayne, I said I love your posts, and I wasn't lying about that.
>
> I simply disagree with your claim that true Mexican food is to be enjoyed
in
> a party atmosphere. It certainly helps, and it is easier to be had in
> Mexico than in lots of other countries, but I still think one can have
great
> Mexican food experiences all on one's own.
>
> Peace, and I look forward to your next reports, compadre,
>
> Peter
>
>

In article .net>, "Marc"
> wrote:

> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for the
> Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices but
> just can't any suggestions?


I think others have gotten it across that ground beef is *not*
traditional, except in certain parts of the US, and not the parts where
there are a lot of people from Mexico.

Having said that, my wife prefers "American" style tacos, with crispy
shells, hamburger, lettuce and cheese.

A "Mexican" style taco around here usually consists of two soft corn
tortillas, meat (I prefer chicken, but there are usually half a dozen
choices), chopped onion, chopped cilantro and salsa. This is often served
with a wedge of lime on the side to squeeze on the tacos, and maybe a
pickled Jalapeno pepper.

We are having "American" style tacos for dinner tonight, and my wife often
asks me to fry the ground beef. I throw in whatever is handy and I feel
like at the time. If my wife has the onion and tomato chopped up when the
meat has lost its pink color, I'll throw some of that in. Depending on
what kind of salsa we have, I'll put some of that in. If all else fails,
I'll just put in some chili powder or red taco sauce from a bottle.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article .net>, "Marc"
> > wrote:
---snip---

In my humble opinion, the only difference between what you are doing with
the ground beef is that you folks are mixing in the chile with the cooking.
Mexican taco makers south of the border prepare whatever taco filling with
almost zero chile, seasoning yes, but they let the consumer add their dosage
of picante (hot sauce) to their individual taste. So taco vendors offer
green chile salsa, red chile salsa, salsa borracha, jalapenos en escabeche,
and lately Tabasco and other goodies on the counter or table for eaters to
give themselves sound dosages of heat (capsicum - one of many human body's
stimulant for a squirt of endorphin ( natural morphine) - yes, chile can
become addictive like jogging for the high). Nothing wrong with that! ;}

Wayne

Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup dried, minced onion
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin powder
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container, in a cool dry
place, for up to 1 year.
To use: brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet and drain. Add 2 tablespoons
Taco Seasoning and 1/3 to 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook and stir
for 2 minutes.

"Marc" > wrote in message
news
> First I realize that ground beef is traditional and I'm not looking for
the
> Old El Paso seasoning mix. I have tried to put my finger on the spices
but
> just can't any suggestions?
>
> Marc
>
>
>