If your idea of a good time is to meet the new year by drinking yourself into a stupor surrounded by a big drunken crowd of people doing the same, well, bless your heart: have at it. Frankly, the only thing I can think of that would be less fun is prepping for a colonoscopy. And the older I get, the less it appeals.
Ever since we bought our house in Petersburg, our tradition for meeting the new year has been to spend it with our two oldest grandchildren, eating tacos, watching favorite old Christmas movies, playing Scrabble, and toasting the new year with a little champagne (us—they were allowed to try it and hated it) and sparkling cider (them—and their other grandpa, who loves that stuff).
This year is no exception, even though I've got a monster of a head cold and, after being knocked sideways by death, loss, and one disappointment after the other this fall, we don't feel all that much like celebrating. Honestly, we're approaching the incoming year on tiptoes, with caution and trepidation. Still, as long as Preston and Natalie want to keep our tradition and hang out with their two old grandpas on New Year's Eve, we'll keep doing it.
That all by itself is worth celebrating.
Gringo (Chili Beef) Tacos
This very gringo filling is kid-friendly, taste-tested and enthusiastically approved by my grandchildren. Our granddaughter used to like a drizzle of ranch dressing, but has graduated to sour cream. Regardless of what sauce you use, keep it light.
We garnish them with shredded lettuce, a blend of shredded mild cheese, and diced red onion, avocado, and fresh tomato, but other possibilities are sliced fresh or pickled chili peppers, cilantro, oregano, homemade or storebought jarred salsa, hot sauce, and lime juice—or, really, anything that suits you. This is party food not a cultural history lesson.
Up till now, I have done all the cooking and the washing up, but this fall the kids' step-mom shared a picture of an apron-clad Preston at their stove, making tacos for the whole family all by himself. Busted, kid: You're helping with the cooking this year!
Enough for 8 tacos, serving 4
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef chuck, preferably from grass-fed cattle
About 2 tablespoons chili powder
½ cup chili sauce or canned tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons ketchup (only if using tomato sauce)
For assembling the tacos
8 large corn or flour tortillas (I like corn, the kids like burrito-sized flour)
Your choice of taco garnishes (see headnotes above)
Lime Crema (see recipe), sour cream, hot sauce, and/or Fresh Salsa (see recipe), for serving
1. Warm the oil in a 10-inch skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Roughly crumble in the beef, raise the heat to medium-high, and sauté, tossing occasionally, until it's no longer red and beginning to brown. Remove the beef, season it lightly with salt, and add the onion to the pan. Sauté, tossing, until it's translucent and beginning to color, about 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. It should be fragrant but not browning.
2. Return the beef to the pan and season with chili powder to taste. Stir until fragrant, about 10-15 seconds. Add the chili sauce, lower the heat to medium low, and simmer about 5 minutes, or until the beef is just cooked through and the sauce is reduced and thick. Remove from the heat.
3. To assemble the tacos, warm a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. I have an enameled iron crepe pan that is perfect for this. Quickly warm 1 tortilla, turning it once (about 15-20 seconds altogether) and remove it to a plate. Spoon 1/8 of the chili beef down the center of the tortilla and top with garnishes and condiments of your choice.
Lime Crema for Tacos
Since only a couple of us like this at all, I don't generally make it for our New Year's Eve meal, but it's great on just about any tacos, whether the base is beef, poultry, fish, lamb, or pork, so if the idea appeals, I hope you'll try it.
Makes about 1¾ cups
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt
2 limes
1 medium clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or oregano
Chipotle chile powder (available in many supermarkets and specialty grocers)
Salt
1. Blend together the mayonnaise and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Fine grate the zest from both limes into the bowl. Lay a wide knife blade flat on top of the garlic, lightly crush, and peel it. Roughly chop, then sprinkle lightly with salt and rub it to a paste with the edge of the knife blade. Add it to the bowl.
2. Halve and juice 1 lime into the bowl, add the cilantro or oregano, and stir well. Season to taste with the chipotle powder. Let stand 15 minutes, then taste and adjust the lime juice, salt, and chipotle. It can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed.