close

SIMMER + SAUCE

Beef Tacos With Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

My whole family is obsessed with Mexican food. It’s recently become a thing. My husband has made it a practice to take the boys to various local Mexican taquerias for either breakfast or lunch in search of the “best taco“. My boys were hooked after the second outing. Their love of tacos and tortas is serious.

I can’t say that they challenged me, but they did take me to one of their favorite spots so I could see what all the fuss was about. These beef tacos are inspired by the ones I had when I was there. The simplicity of the flavors is what makes this recipe so great in my eyes. I use a sirloin to keep it tender, I cook it on high heat quickly–making this a great fast meal option any night of the week.

beef taco

Taco Fun Facts

  • Taco Bell: Tacos rose in popularity around 1970 when Glen Bell went public with his widely successful Taco Bell chain. Today, Americans eat more than 4.5 billion tacos a year–ranking among one of Americans’ most beloved fast foods.
  • Ancient Origins: Tacos can trace their roots back to ancient Mexican civilizations. The word “taco” is believed to have originated from the silver mines in Mexico, where explosive materials were wrapped in paper and referred to as “tacos.”
  • Versatile Vessels: Tacos are incredibly versatile. While we commonly associate them with tortillas, they can be made with various bases, including soft corn tortillas, crispy taco shells, lettuce leaves, and even jicama slices.
  • Global Phenomenon: Tacos have gained international popularity and have inspired countless variations worldwide. From Korean BBQ tacos to Indian-inspired tacos with curry fillings, the possibilities are endless.
  • National Dish of Mexico: Tacos are considered a national dish of Mexico and are deeply ingrained in Mexican culture. There’s even a day dedicated to celebrating tacos, known as “Dia del Taco.”
  • Innovative Fillings: Traditional taco fillings include meats like carne asada, carnitas, and al pastor, but there’s an endless array of creative options. From seafood to vegetarian and even dessert tacos, there’s a taco for every palate.
  • Taco Emoji: In 2015, the taco emoji was officially added to the Unicode Consortium’s list of emojis, further solidifying its cultural significance.
  • Guinness World Record: The largest taco ever made weighed an astonishing 1,654.10 kilograms (3,645 pounds) and was achieved in Queretaro, Mexico, in 2011.
  • Taco University: Believe it or not, there’s a “Tacology” program at the University of Kentucky. It’s an academic study of the cultural significance and history of tacos.

The homemade tomatillo salsa in this recipe adds nice flavor and texture. Topped with some Mexican crema and you have (according to my guys) the “perfect taco“. Considering my classical French training, I take that as a huge compliment. This dish has quickly become a favorite in my house; (with or without guacamole) I even have to make extra so my older son is guaranteed to have some the next day for his afternoon snack.

beef taco

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comment Policy

Simmer + Sauce reserves the right to remove or restrict comments that do not contribute constructively to the topic conversation, contain profanity or offensive language, personal attacks, or seek to promote a personal or unrelated business. Any post found to be in violation of any of these guidelines will be modified or removed without warning. When making a comment on my blog, you grant Simmer + Sauce permission to reproduce your content to our discretion, an example being for a possible endorsement or media kit purposes. If you don’t want your comment to be used for such purposes, please explicitly state this within the body of your comment. If you find evidence of copyright infringement in the comments of simmerandsauce.com, contact me and I will remove that in question promptly.