Recipe: Chilli beef tacos and pico de gallo

The Mexican equivalent of a sandwich, tacos are a hard or soft tortilla wrapped around a spicy filling. Americans are said to eat more than 4.5 billion tacos each year.

While no statistics exist for South Africa, musician and food lover J’Something enjoys tucking into a taco and has created a special recipe for Castle Milk Stout.

“This is the perfect dish to create at home for a crowd of friends – they can even assemble their own,” said J’Something.

Today is World Taco Day, so why not try this easy and delicious chilli beef taco?

Ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil
700g ground beef mince
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp peri-peri powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
250ml Castle Milk Stout
250ml beef stock
1 can (410g) diced tomatoes
1 can (410g) butter beans
1 can (400g) black beans
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and ground black pepper, to season

Salsa
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, finely diced
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
Juice of 1-2 limes
250ml sour cream, for serving
150g cheddar cheese, grated
12 taco shells

Method

• In a large pot over a medium high heat, heat oil, add onions and garlic and sauté until softened.

• Add cumin, peri-peri powder, cayenne pepper and cinnamon and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring.

• Add mince and cook for a further 7-8 minutes until meat has browned, stirring occasionally.

• Add Castle Milk Stout to the pot along with beef stock, diced tomatoes and juices from the can.

• Bring to a low simmer then cover with a lid and simmer for 30-45 minutes until beef is very tender.

• Add drained beans, brown sugar and season with salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes.

• Keep warm over a low heat while preparing the salsa.

• Dice tomatoes, onion, coriander and chilli and mix together in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper and the lime juice.

• Serve chilli spooned into tacos, topped with salsa, sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.