Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Mexican Taco

This recipe is included in my Cinco de Mayo recipes list. Mexican Taco is very easy to prepare. You'll just have to saute, heat and arrange! Here is the recipe numero uno for Cinco de Mayo!

Mexican Taco

Ingredients:

• 4 large taco shells
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder, divided
• 1/2 cup home-made or store-bought salsa
• 2 Tbsp. Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
• 2 cups torn salad greens
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese(can be substituted with cheddar and Monterey Jack)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure:

1. On a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, saute onion in oil.
2. Add meat and chili powder stirring occasionally until brown.
3. Add salsa; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Set Aside.
4. On a nonstick griddle, heat taco shells.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of salad greens on each shell, top with a quarter of the meat mixture, tomato, cheese, mayonnaise and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Cinco de Mayo, obviously done every 5th of May, is a Mexican regional holiday. Cinco de Mayo is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo is not very well-observed in Mexico, but Americans, especially in California, are very keen in preparing "Cinco de Mayo meals" on this day. Cinco de Mayo recipes like Mexican Tacos, Enchiladas, and Burritos are the most commonly searched in preparation for this day. I have a collection of Cinco de Mayo Recipes here that will surely make your fiesta truly Mexican!

Cinco de Mayo Recipe #1: Mexican Taco

Cinco de Mayo Recipe #2: Chicken and Sour Cream Enchiladas

Cinco de Mayo Recipe #3: Burrito

Enjoy these easy-to-cook Mexican treats!

Lechon

Lechon is a dish of roast meat. Lechon is usually whole roast pig but can also be done in chicken and beef. Lechon is very popular in the Philippines and in countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico and Argentina, and other countries with Spanish heritage. You will always see Lechon in festivals (fiestas) and celebrations like weddings, baptismal, and birthdays. Lechon is typically cooked by placing the whole pig (or cattle or chicken) in a spit and roasting it over charcoal while brushing the meat with fat and water (sometimes with Coke). This process will make the lechon's skin crispy. In the Philippines, La Loma in Quezon City was considered the Lechon Capital. Lydia's Lechon and Mila's Lechon are the top two Lechon restaurants in Metro Manila. Lechon de Leche is a "smaller" version of Lechon. Lechon de Leche is roast suckling pig. It is more tender than the regular Lechon because the pig that they use is much younger. Lechon baboy (pig), manok (chicken), or baka (cattle) is usually served with a liver sauce. This liver sauce for lechon (sarsa ng lechon) can also be purchased in bottles under brand names like Mang Tomas, Andoks, and UFC. If you are somewhere outside the Philippines, and you want to eat Lechon, you can always cook your very own Lechon right in your oven. One can also cook Lechon the Lechong Kawali way. Lechong Kawali is as simple as boiling a large pork hock or belly in a pot of water with salt, pepper, bay leaf and Monosodium Glutamate. When the meat is tender, deep fry! Serve with Mang Tomas and enjoy as Lechon! If you want a healthier way (oh, is there such thing as healthy lechon?), you can bake it in convection oven or turbo broiler.

Here is my recipe of Lechon for oven baking:

Lechon Recipe (Lechon using oven or broiler)

Ingredients:

• 8 lbs pork head/shoulder/hock/pata (with skin on)
• salt and pepper
• Monosodium glutamate
• bay leaf
• cloves of garlic
• enough water to cover meat for boiling

Procedure:

1. In a large pot, combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until meat is tender.
2. Preheat oven 350F.
3. Drain meat. (You can use the stock for soups and other stock-based dishes)
4. Put the pork on a large roasting rack placed over a pan to catch drippings.
5. Bake for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until golden and crispy. Drain fat. Serve with liver sauce.

Enjoy your Lechon!!!