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       Title: Swedish Tacos
  Categories: Ground beef, Original, Ceideburg 2
       Yield: 1 servings
  
       1 lb Frozen ground beef
       1    Package corn tortillas
       2    To 4 cloves of garlic,
       2 md Yellow onions or 1 huge one
       2    To 22 hot chilies
       1 lg Block of cheddar cheese
       2    Or 3 tomatoes
            Head of iceburg lettuce
            Olive oil and peanut oil
            Salt
  
   I've decided to share++at long last++the only two recipes I can call
   my own.  Both these were developed before I really knew how to cook,
   in times of poverty (which seems to come and go with alarming
   regularity). They're good and cheap, an unbeatable combination.
   Here’s number one... Copious quantities of ice cold beer is the best
   accompaniment for this. This dish is a truly international one and
   bears little resemblance to anything from either Sweden (I'm part
   Swedish++hence the name) or Mexico. The inspiration is Mexican, the
   utensils and some of the techniques used are Chinese, the ingredients
   are all-American (with the exception of the tortillas). It’s “peasant
   food” in the best tradition++ cheap, full of flavor, healthy and
   satisfying.  I cooked these so often that I got to where I could
   knock out a complete, filling dinner++even with the frozen
   hamburger++in less than half an hour.  Follow the recipe closely++ at
   least the first time to see what it’s s'pposed to taste like. I've
   never had anyone dislike this recipe, with the possible exception of
   a vegetarian or two. Slice and dice first.  Put everything into
   separate serving dishes as you cut 'em. Smash the garlic cloves,
   remove the skins and mince coarsely. Chop the onions into pieces
   about a quarter to half an inch square. Dice or slice the hot
   chilies.  Grate the cheddar on the side of the grater with the big
   round holes.  Cut the tomatoes into chunks about the same size as the
   onions or a little larger.  Shred the lettuce finely++ into strips
   maybe 1/8 inch wide. The essence of this dish is textured savoriness.
   The sharp cheddar, hot chilies, and yellow onions all contribute
   without overpowering one another. The tomatoes, besides adding a nice
   acidy zing, also give moisture. But the key to the savoriness and to
   the unique taste of the dish lies in the first two steps involving
   the garlic, onions and hamburger. Cheap hamburger is used because it
   has a high fat content and lots of taste. I've made this with chopped
   sirloin and the like and believe me, the result is definitely
   inferior to using the cheap stuff. Now that you've got everything
   sliced, diced and chopped you can start cooking. Actually, I usually
   do these first couple of steps prior to doing most of the cutting.
   That speeds things up a bit. Heat a wok over high heat and put in a
   nice dollop of peanut oil++ about 2 tablespoons or so.  Let it heat
   for a minute then toss in the minced garlic, followed a second or two
   later by about 2/3rds of the chopped yellow onion++the rest goes on
   the table, raw.  Right about now, it’s gonna start smelling good in
   the ol' kitchen.  Stir the onions and garlic and reduce the heat to
   medium.  Take the frozen hamburger out of its wrapping and put it in
   the wok as is.  Smoosh it down and push the onions and garlic out of
   the way so the surface of the frozen hamburger is in contact with the
   hot surface of the wok.  If you haven't already whacked up everything
   else, now’s the time to get on that. As the hamburger browns, scrape
   off the done surface with a slotted spoon or spatula of some sort.
   This goes on during the whole cooking time. Flip the block of meat
   over and scrape off the browned bits.  Let the other side brown a bit
   then repeat the process.  The idea is to brown both the onions and
   the garlic well. Big no-no’s, I know, but I was young and ignorant
   and what did I know. As it turns out it was a happy mistake. The
   browned onions and garlic give an nice sharp, distinctive savoriness
   to the finished dish. I salt the meat periodically while it’s
   cooking. The reason for using frozen hamburger is that when it’s all
   finally cooked, you'll have bits of meat ranging all the way from
   well done and crunchy to nearly raw. This gives a very interesting
   texture and deepens the range of tastes. You may need to lower the
   heat under the wok toward the end to avoid over cooking the meat. And
   the bits will all be steeped in the wonderful juices from the cooking
   onions and garlic.  Sometimes I drain the meat at the end of cooking,
   sometimes I don't.  It depends on how fatty the meat is. These should
   have taste, but not be grease- burgers. You should be through
   chopping the rest of the stuff about the time the meat gets done.
   Now’s the time to tackle the tortillas.  I prefer soft tortillas over
   the deep fried, crunchy shells. I use an old, cast iron griddle that
   fits over two burners. I heat the griddle over a medium fire, then
   pour a bit of olive oil onto it. This doesn't add any taste, but the
   aroma while the tortillas are cooking is heavenly!  I warm two
   tortillas at a time, flip them over and let them cook a bit more.  As
   they're done, I put them on a plate covered with pot lid to keep them
   warm. Soon as the tortillas are done, put everything on the table in
   the individual bowls and dig in. Everyone assembles their own tacos
   according to their tastes. My method is to put on a layer of
   meat++not too thick, then a layer of the chopped hot chilies, a layer
   of cheddar, a layer of chopped raw onions, then tomatoes and finally
   a layer of iceberg lettuce.  Just before folding I anoint the whole
   mess liberally with Tabasco sauce.  I've also used Jamaican
   Pickapeppa sauce and it’s quite good on these too.  Season with salt
   during assembly if you like. The finished dish is an incredible
   medley of tastes and textures, each distinct and flavorful, with at
   least two distinct kinds of hotness. Great food that you eat with
   your fingers. What could be better?
   
   Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; August 25 1992.
  
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