I have searched the interwebs and have not successfully found recipes that actually represent tacos and rice that taste like they're from a TexMex restaurant. Nothing fancy. Just plan TexMex tacos and TexMex rice. Anyone?
For the beans all you need is a can of beans, heat it up in a pot and hand blender to liquify it up. I dont particularly care for tex mex but I doubt every restaurant out there is cooking their own beans every day or every other day. It all comes straight from a can. It might be the ambiance youre so desperately missing and not the actual flavor.
Robb Walsh is king of Tex Mex. I did a cooking class with him a few years back. Here's his taco recipe. As for shells, they are so easy to make, if a little hands on. Just put some vegetable oil (1/2 inch) into a skillet, then take a tong to a corn tortilla. Hold one half in until crisp, then repeat on the other half. SOOO much better than store bought taco shells. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ground-beef-tacos And here's Los Tios rice recipe. https://recipesforsustenance.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/los-tios-mexican-rice/ Honestly, If I were you, I'd just buy his Tex Mex cookbook. It's on Amazon.
I watched a documentary of a few college kids trying to survive on a living familys wage in Central America and in poorer countries and thats how those villagers would get their calorie content up in their diet. Not being able to afford meat everyday they would put a scoop of lard in their beans.
Much as I appreciate the response... That's not what I'm looking for. Yeah, I know I can buy a package of Old El Paso or Ortega... and it won't taste like a TexMex Restaurant taco
Read the recipe. He says you can substitute that package stuff in a pinch or for kids who won't like the spices as much, but the recipe is real deal stuff with no spice package. This guy literally wrote the book on the history of Tex Mex. He's been featured on the Food Network and is widely regarded for his knowledge of Tex Mex. You know I'm not going to give you an Old El Paso recipe...
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/tacos-al-pastor-recipe.html http://robbwalsh.com/2010/08/puffy-tacos-at-sammys-mexican-restaurant/ https://www.cookstr.com/recipes/el-fenix-original-tacos
@droxford posting in regards to consuming TexMex items? I have high hopes for this thread. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/whatabuger-secret-menu.205442/ Btw do you still swish the picante bits in and around your mouth?
Great thread. @donkeypunch gave a bean recipe and the boomer is drunk arguing. I’m too lazy to make rice so I don’t have a recipe for that. As for the tacos I use a store bought seasoning packets. If you really want to make it yourself it’s just ancho chili’s, cumin, white pepper, garlic and onions I believe. They likely do throw lard in there too. When I sold food to restaurants my mexican restaurants bought a **** ton of manteca. 2 tricks to give yourself more tex mex flavor. Fry the corn tortillas yourself and make creama. Creama is simple: add lime juice, lime zest, and a tiny bit of water to sour cream. @droxford