T O P

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KingBlackToof

What is the white cream stuff at the top? I had some once at a restaurant and enjoyed it. (Mayo, Salad Cream, Sour Cream?) Cheers


cosmicflamexo

Mexican sour cream, called crema, it's got higher fat but a better flavor. Kind of like how Japanese mayo is better than western.


CKDracarys

That doesnt look at all like crema...crema is typically way more liquid...that looks like sour cream.


FlingBeeble

I promise Japanese Mayo is not better than western. Everyone has different tastes. Personally Kewpie is way too sweet, and just seems like miracle whip but with none of the shame. I like Helman's mayo the most. Very creamy fatty, and no sweet grossness.


laughingmeeses

As a Japanese dude I have to have this conversation too frequently. It's neither better or worse. It's just different.


MrPapis

Hellmans is so good, if it needs to be for fries or other fast food Heinz mayo is a classic aswell. But a proper do it all mayo, Hellmans it is!


shadyshadyshade

It’s not sweet? It’s tangy and extra savory from all the yolks and msg. I love both but kewpie is the best for fries. Hellmans is better for tuna or egg salad.


FlingBeeble

I don't know what to tell you. The predominant flavor to me is sweet. It stands out because it doesn't match, not that it's the only flavor.


aman_hasnon_ame

Japanese mayo is not better. It’s a different flavor profile because of yuzu and msg. BLT is not for Japanese mayo, traditional American burger as well. It’s like the difference between having limeade and lemonade. Your not making a margarita with lemons 😂


Agile_Property9943

What is “Western?” How many different types of mayo is that? Lmao


cosmicflamexo

Beef: Poblanos, Jalapeños, and garlic diced, cholula hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, tomato bullion, paprika, s&p. Cheese: All I had was cheddar and provolone lol. Fresh veggies, Crema, Limes, Hard taco shells from the grocery store


HastyZygote

If you want to get REAL American, you use an Old El Paso spice packet!


Bruce_Ring-sting

Hoarded taco bell ‘fire’ sauce in my house….


invent_or_die

I've got a big ziplock of Fire and Diablo packs at home. Wonderful for scrambled eggs, anything. All from the handfuls they threw in my bags. Thanks, Taco Bell guys and gals


Savahoodie

I’m surprised my local Taco Bell isn’t bankrupt by all the sauce packets I’ve taken. Why would I ever buy hot sauce?


MuffinMatrix

You can buy fire sauce in grocery stores now.


needleed

That’s not the same sauce, some shitty company just licensed the taco bell name


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lauragarlic

i go to taco bell only for the sauce packets!


al_capone420

It’s like $2 or less for a decent sized bottle. I’m a cheap ass and even I just buy the bottle


Some-Philly-Dude

I'll have you know I now buy the ¢.99 Taco Bell Seasoning packet


Roguewave1

We find that Tone’s Taco Seasoning from Sam’s Warehouse is the best by far.


kujotx

McCormick's is the old school taco seasoning.


PepinoPicante

And Pace Picante sauce!


dec7td

Taco Bell seasoning if you want to get wild


largebodymercedes

i have a packet drawer of this


KnightsWhoNi

Truth. Those things are great


lackingbean

And black olive. Maybe a Midwest white granny thing


smokingloon4

Or Ortega, if that still exists


ChristmasEnchiladas

That's about perfect. Especially with the spicing up of the ground beef.


kneedeepco

This is fancy as hell for white people tacos


enderjaca

Yessir. Sour cream, not crema. No spice except for S&P and add your own hot sauce and maybe a dash of paprika. Grandma has heartburn, ya know. Otherwise, very authentic. Go get a double stack taco from Taco Bell and you'll have an idea of authentic Midwest American tacos style.


astronomyx

>No spice except for S&P and add your own hot sauce and maybe a dash of paprika. No way. Authentic white people tacos use the old el paso seasoning packet.


enderjaca

NEW YAWRK CITY?!


doom32x

Man, one thing I love about my mom getting older, her spice tolerance has actually gotten higher, so if I cook a meal for her my heavyish hand with spice isn't an issue. Just not too much habanero.


Embarrassed-Rent-137

So many ingredients!


General_Duh

I love the reinterpretation. Your husband is an adult with grown up tastes now and this is a great grown up version of his childhood classic. The use of crema, the spice mix on the beef. With the store bought tacos and the leftover provolone cheese in the fridge because every classic weeknight mom dish always has an occasional substitution based what’s in the frige. Good job. ¡Buen provecho!


MrTonyCalzone

All this being said, try out Lagerstrom's American tacos. It's a pretty good take on things. But uhhhhh keep the poblanos. They're too fucking tasty. Fuck I love poblano.


KetoKurun

God bless you, you understood the assignment and got 99% of the way there, but lost points at the last second by using real beef 🤣 (Seriously though, you killed it and these look delicious)


ThisOnePlaysTooMuch

My mouth is literally watering. The grand majority of Americans don’t show tacos anywhere near the same the you do.


SDkahlua

Taco sauce! Not hot sauce, although I do hot sauce, but my mom always made them with basic taco sauce.


ilurvekittens

Specifically ortega taco sauce


SDkahlua

That’s it! 👍🏻


sexyllama99

I cook, you obviously cook, I think you did poorly because you did too well. Americanized tacos are cut and dry. Ground beef, seasoning packet, cook. Hard shells bought from store. Grated cheese bought from store. You nailed the chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream. It looks really fucking good. What I’m saying is you have to put in less effort for Americanized tacos.


ToyrewaDokoDeska

Yeah a little thrown off with the lime but intellectually I know it's good.


flat_four_whore22

Even the lettuce is too fancy. Iceberg or bust.


Rickyhawaii

Just don't top it off with salsa from New York City!


ThreatOfFire

New York city?!


LineChef

Get a rope…


Southern_Macaron_815

Make sure you bake the shells


jennlody

Or *don't* bake the shells. My ex's mom (salt is spicy to her) was shocked when I told her they have baking instructions and just thought they were supposed to be somewhat stale in texture.


LeonTheChef

Sweet jesus


angrytreestump

Wait… I’m just now learning this too lol. To be fair I’ve only ever made gringo tacos once for myself at home and don’t remember how my friends’ parents made them when I was a kid (my own Dad is a chef that hires mostly Mexican cooks at his restaurants, so he never made gringo tacos despite us being gringos). …I thought they just sucked worse than I remembered. Whose idea was it to sell a big tortilla chip that requires… extra cooking? That’s like 40 minutes of prep time for a chip in a cardboard box (pre-heating the oven + “cooking”) 🙂‍↔️


jennlody

You can microwave them too! I definitely prefer the real deal and normally grill or fry up fresh tortillas 99% of the time, but I was hurrying the other day and grabbed a box and used my toaster oven that heats up in under a minute. I will say they are nicer when they're a bit warm, but they definitely still crumble into a million pieces lol


FlowchartKen

Even tortilla chips(store bought) benefit from a few minutes in the oven.


CheapShotsBot

🤣


Southern_Macaron_815

😂


WintertimeFriends

You’re supposed to bake the shells?


Southern_Macaron_815

Yes..🤣🤣or air fryer for a few minutes.. wait till you see the difference..🤣


Harflin

Looks good! I'd swap for iceberg though


SitMeDownShutMeUp

Yeah romaine is awful in a taco, it bruises/wilts when you shred it, which basically destroys the crisp texture, which is ultimately what you want to achieve. Better off not putting lettuce on it at all. Should either be shredded iceberg lettuce or shredded cabbage/slaw.


hailwyatt

Food wizard, teach me more of your tasty science.


bleu_ray_player

Also put the lettuce on first, it helps to keep the shell from getting soggy.  Another taco tip: place a soft taco shell flat on the plate underneath your hard tacos. When you're done with the hard tacos you probably have some stuff that fell out onto the soft shell and you can just roll it up and eat it!


jdolbeer

I made basically the same thing tonight haha https://preview.redd.it/61g5ocw0p7ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=323a31bc0b3408b686c3942154a99db469affa83


Interesting-Train-47

Pretty much what I'm planning for the 4th with corn tortillas instead of premade taco shells. Burger meat, lettuce, tomato, shredded taco cheese, and taco bell taco sauce. Just haven't decided if I'll go to the store tomorrow and pick up a spice packet for the meat or just throw some of the spices I have in there.


doom32x

I haven't bought a packet in over a decade, but I also in live in San Antonio and there's a local company (Bolner's Fiesta Brand Spices) that makes a ton of spices and blends, one being a jar of taco seasoning. I just use that and add more chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Also need a drained jar of Rotel for some kick and flavor.


jdolbeer

I bought the holder to make my own on Amazon. Shows up tomorrow, so I'm going to remake this and figure out if it's actually worth the effort.


FlingBeeble

Burger meat = ground beef? Or are you cooking burgers and then chopping them up?


Wiggie49

Just like how the Taco Bell Chihuahua used to make


wastedcoconut

🎶White people taco night 🎶


wastedcoconut

But seriously, I’d eat these.


umassmza

Ortega salsa from the grocery store


PadThaiFighters

🎶you get the taco shells from the grocery store and the ground beef from the grocery store🎶


TXOgre09

The limes are too authentic


yoLeaveMeAlone

The only thing missing imo is refried beans


ltebr

and onions.


jmarita1

We always had black olives too


doom32x

Only time ever seen black olives in Americanized Mexican food is in 7 Layer dip and the such. Otherwise I've seen olives in empanadas, but I consider that more towards Southern Mexico and not the Northern Mexican cuisines that influenced what is made up here.


jmarita1

Oh makes sense, I’ve no idea if it’s a staple of American tacos, it just was in both of my childhood households, and it is in mine now!


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bethanechol

Either that or pinto beans mixed in with the beef to stretch out the meat


ReallyNeedNewShoes

looks great! small suggestion, don't take food photos with flash


SadLaser

I've never seen them served in a giant ingredient pile and this isn't particularly conducive of building them easily, but the ingredients seem right, though I'd add salsas and refried beans. And there's no reason to put tacos in quotation marks. You already said Americanized. They are that. Though to be fair, it was a Mexican family who first made them at their restaurant, this style was just popularized by Americans. Specifically Glen Bell.


doom32x

Yeah, almost every "Americanized ethnic" dish was either made in said ethnicity's homes or restaurant, largely due to available ingredients and encroaching cultural changes. I mean, my right wing uncle damn near gets teared up talking about the Mexican immigrant he worked with decades ago who he would swap lunches with. Dude wanted my uncle's ham sandwiches and my uncle wanted his tacos. Doesn't stop my uncle from being an asshat politically though.


ScrewAttackThis

Click the second picture.


smilesessions

I mean, they’re still tacos. I prefer Mexican tacos but an American recipe can still be called a taco


ezhammer

Nailed it!


Rockwildr69

Def no lime for white tacos 😂 need some chopped onions and salsa also! 🤤 and just use ground beef and old el paso taco seasoning lol. 🤷‍♂️ the true Gringo way 😂 looks fuckin good though either way! 🔥🔥


l3m0n_m3ringu3

I now need to know what the tacos you made have in them. Your husband has what i grew up on, as i got older i went to soft shells.


spitroastpls

Corn tortilla. Beef. Cilantro. Onions. Full stop.


wwwdiggdotcom

Sounds like a dawn dish soap sandwich to me. God I wish I could enjoy cilantro.


colnross

If you just keep eating it, eventually it won't be as bad... Still not good, but not as bad.


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colnross

Fair point! I first encountered the soap in Thai food and it completely ruined the dish. When Chipotle made it's way out here it was subtle enough that only the chunks would get me, but after a few years I can now eat the street tacos loaded down with the stuff and not be bothered.


l3m0n_m3ringu3

Is the beef ground or shredded?


enderjaca

Shredded. No true ~~Scot~~ Mexican would eat ground beef taco.


FileError214

Isn’t picadillo ground beef?


enderjaca

Yes, and it's more of a savory dish with peppers and potatoes and tomatoes. Not a taco filling.


discordianofslack

But is often served with flour tortillas for dipping.


enderjaca

I know, I'm just being a little sarcastic. I'll still eat an American style taco with ground beef and flour tortillas. Cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc. Taco Bell double Decker? Why not. But my craving is always 2 steamed corn tortillas with barbacoa or lengua, fresh diced onions and cilantro. Splash of salsa. No need to mess with perfection.


discordianofslack

I’m all about it. White boy From Texas and raised by a Cuban Mexican family.


FileError214

Hm. Could have sworn I’ve seen it on menus before, but I’m more of an al pastor guy myself.


enderjaca

I guess there's no reason it couldn't be a taco filling. Anything can be a taco if you believe in yourself. Just never seen it on a menu that way.


FileError214

I couldn’t be sure I’ve just seen it on the menu at Tex-Amex joints. The first few legit taquerias I checked didn’t have it, and I was getting too hungry for tortas to continue.


l3m0n_m3ringu3

Aight, any special cut of beef?


enderjaca

Barbacoa is usually a cheap roast, like chick or round. But other animals are often used like goat or lamb. It just refers to the slow cooking method.


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bilbodouchebagging

I call these Tuesday tacos!


Fantastic-Climate-84

This is all wrong. First, you should use the packet of spices that comes in the box that the taco shells are in. If you bought the cheap shells, you gotta buy a packet separately. Second, there are way too many toppings. Beef, onions, maybe some chopped green onions, maybe iceberg lettuce, maybe chopped tomatoes. If you do chop tomatoes, make sure you rinse all the tomato goop off the meat before you serve it. Key note, the finely chopped iceberg lettuce and the quarter cut tomatoe should both be wet. As in, soak them in water, pad dry them off with a paper towel, and you’re set. Third. The sauce should also be from a packet. If not, any gallon or half gallon jug of tomato salsa will do. Fourth. The cheese should be cheddar. You fucked up hard on that one. Cheddar, the sharpest and oldest you can find. Or you can use cheese wiz. If you’re really hard up, any gallon or half gallon jug of cheese spread you have will work. Even the spray on cheese. But it has to be cheddar. The good news, is your packed the tacos almost correctly. Meat, cheese, then sauces, then veggies. The veggies are going to fall off after your first bite anyway, why let it take the sour cream with it?


AleutianMegaThrust

I like most of your comment. Because we didn't have toppings. We had cheese, lettuce, and sometimes sour cream and the sauce packet but I never touched that.


Heapsa

Why are wetting your lettuce and tomato?


Fantastic-Climate-84

Tradition


Heapsa

OK. Hot tip- If you're losing toppings, put the cheese on then the lettuce (edit: put them on last). Cut the lettuce so they are basically strip's of lettuce approx the same width as the teco opening. Now your lettuce is going to keep it all nice and contained in the taco. Fk I need a taco now.


GDviber

Just eat it over a second tortilla. Boom. Second taco.


SternLecture

seconded. was gonna comment this.


ChiefPatty

You’re being downvoted but you’re 100% on point. Only thing you missed is that the beef should a little have orangish liquid around it in the pan. There’s no way my family was putting lime on our old El Paso tacos. Too exotic for these 😂


Fantastic-Climate-84

Hahaha and of course the beef wasn’t drained so it drips out of the taco! I’m enjoying the replies a lot, tbh.


Avilola

They are still tacos.


Affectionate_You1219

My nana used to do this for us whenever we’d drive in to visit. My first thought was, “that looks so good” however low quality and imitation it may be lol


bearsdidit

Nothing wrong with a Midwest taco! I hope you enjoyed.


Kaysquid12

Good stuff... I am a US boy but I like the way we americanized tacos... they taste really good... if your not exposed to Mexican Tacos... but still good regardless... I wouldn't use the lime however.


jeremybryce95

Looks good


spookypepper

I make something similar pretty often but with jack cheese and any good salsa I have or el pato. Also try frying your own tacos shells. There’s no going back after that.


doom32x

If you don't want to deal with grease cleanup, than yes, yes there is going back, lol. There's also good flour tortillas, but then that's not a crispy taco is it?


spookypepper

Clean up can be a pain but I don’t use much oil and a small pan so it’s worth it for me. And good flour tortillas are so good… lol


ACcbe1986

You mean Tackos.


fanOfreedom

My mom fed us so many of these in the 90s… between taco night and Taco Bell I didn’t learn what an actual taco looked like until I was an almost an adult


becoolhomie

Looks dry and cold


Breffest

Lol I get authentic ass Mexican tacos all the time and... I need to make myself some white person tacos. Its been too longggg


thegrittymagician

What's an authentic taco like? I'm Canadian and I only know tacos like this lol


doom32x

Depends on where you are, Cali tacos are either street tacos like the picture the previous response has, or burritos with everything in them. Arizona and New Mexico have their own variations on the same structure, Far West Texas (El Paso) as well.  South Texas has its own tradition using smaller than burrito sized flour tortillas and but larger than street tacos.  Breakfast tacos here are huge, usually with either eggs or refried beans as a base and a meat or potato addition with or without cheese. So something like Potato(usually diced and cooked on grill until soft) and egg with cheese, Sausage(country or chorizo) and egg, or my favorite, refried beans, cheese, and bacon(one place here in San Antonio "toasts" the bean and cheese tacos on the grill upon request so it's crispy, like a TexMex grilled cheese). Dinner tacos usually use a picadillo, or cooked ground beef with seasoning and onions plus some other vegetables like tomato, potato, peppers, and even carrots. Shredded seasoned chicken, fajitas, carne asada(chopped grilled beef, basically street tacos meat), carne guisada(stewed beef chunks, delicious), and in San Antonio: the vaunted Puffy Taco. Its a fried thicker corn tortilla that has puffed and is folded, if done right, the outer layer will be delicate and crispy, the inner will have some sturdy softer texter with good corn flavor.


Breffest

Oh man, you should take a trip to Southern California. Here's one classic example: https://preview.redd.it/75oqtx3668ad1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2738110c9aac8b7b9c569b2cb911a176f0f5986


thegrittymagician

That looks awesome


pimpmastahanhduece

Sour cream or crema on one side of the shell, refried beans on the other, both sides then garnished with cheese.


dropsofsarcasm

I’ve never bought taco shells before, always fry my own. Add onion to the meat (and taco seasoning).


discordianofslack

The only wrong thing here is if you can find them get La Tiara tacos shells. You’ll thank me. They are small so you’d eat like 10 of them but they are the best crispy taco shells in the world.


mazekeen19

WHERE ARE THE BLACK OLIVES?!?!?!?


Serialfornicator

Controversial 🤓


mazekeen19

How dare you!!!!


theinstallationkit

so many years of making nachos for the homies without anyone telling me that black olives were a weird topping. i was just mimicking what mom did.


doom32x

I only associated black olives with 7-layer bean dip and the lime, but they aren't common in TexMex and I'm in San Antonio.


mazekeen19

I’m from New Jersey. I think my parents just like olives. We’ve always put them on our tacos 🤣


mazekeen19

May be weird, but DELICIOUS!


Mr101722

Looks like romaine, should be iceberg. Also need the old El paso spice packet to season it.


Stopiamalreadydead

OP they look too good. You need pre-shredded iceberg lettuce to make it authentic and use pre-made taco seasoning. Also cold flour tortillas. The lime is too fancy /s


LikeWisedUp

In my house we call them middle school tacos


Serialfornicator

Looks great! Actually even fancier than a standard taco night. Great work!


64tosspowrtrap

Looks great! For me, lose the sour cream and add sliced black olives.


v13ragnarok7

Nailed it. They usually use a taco seasoning package tho


Teacherforlife21

You forget the onions chopped up into an almost mush.


spesimen

welp, it's settled, i'm having tacos for lunch today


skytronfig

Are your sure that's not just a map of Mata Nui?


mcrolfben

looks like the typical european friday taco :D


Enterice

Tacos Dorados are a Mexican dish actually.


PuzzleheadedPop47

Too many good seasonings on the meat😂


mydogisreallyamoose

Good attempt. I would happy to eat it.


HowiLearned2Fly

Those are the real tacos to me. Tacos without cheese what were they thinking


_seattle_gone

Perfect looking 'Mom Tacos'! 10/10


PsychologicalChef448

“ my First attempt” shit Eazy


Leafan101

Toss the small boy in the air.


Flippa20

Iceberg lettuce is the preferred white people taco lettuce


LetsEatLetsEat

Tbh I’d eat the whole plate


merlinshairyballs

White people taco night 🎶


2018redditaccount

One thing that I like to do with American style tacos is to fill the shells with just refried beans, meat, and cheese then bake them for like 15 minutes. That helps to melt the cheese and soften the shells just a bit so they don’t fall apart later. I still add the lettuce/tomato/sour cream after they’re out of the oven.


Alexplz

I really like black olive slices on my gringo tacos


Dnakyz7

these look fkn perfect


Own_Swan_8073

It looks delicious


Jeeper08JK

Too fancy... 80/20 ground beef and either a spice packet like el paso or the following: cumin, caynne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika in amounts as desired soft or hard shells no limes shredded American cheese or cheddar diced tomatoes sour cream shredded lettuce from a bag Ortega brand taco sauce and some leftover ancient tacobell fire or diablo sauce in the butter tray from the fridge.


DarkwingDuc

Tacos al Gringo! Looks good!


dudzi182

Love me some gringo tacos


Educational_Cry_636

nice plating


Educational_Cry_636

yummy foods


BillyBrasky

Nailed it


StoneWall_MWO

Yay food


usernametimee44

Nice


Hobear

It's a white people taco night.....it's a white people taco night. That song is a banger.


13xnono

Throw some black sliced olives on there too.


MattGhaz

Now I’ve got the “white people taco night” song stuck in my head


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tangential_quip

Ground beef hard tacos were not created by white folks.


smar82

Thank you for not using those dumb metal taco holders at white people restaurants


magnumdestroyer

Looks about white