Spicy Beef Tacos

I have a confession to make.  I joined Twitter today.  I'm not sure how I feel about it, and I'm really, really not sure how it works.  At all.  I just typed in my gmail address, clicked through a few pages, and before I knew it I was following about 15 people.  Matt has tried to explain it to me on several occasions, but I still feel like my grandparents trying to learn how to use a computer.  While I'm not so clueless that I need someone to write down step-by-step directions for me (talking to you, Grandpa!), I still don't really get the concept.  Since my grandpa was finally able to learn how to use a computer and order books from Amazon at the age of 90, though, I am confident that I will someday understand a little more about this Twitter business.  

One thing I was able to do was become a follower (after years in real life, I made it official on Twitter) of Rick Bayless.  After reading his updates all day describing each of several courses he was preparing for his staff to taste I knew I needed a little Mexican for dinner.  He was really tasty.  Hardy har har.  I actually made some spicy beef for tacos and tostadas.  Definitely not to the level of RB, but not bad for a quick, weeknight dinner.  

Start by sautéing half an onion in a little oil for about 3 minutes.  

While the onion is cooking, measure some spices.  For 1.75lbs of meat I used a generous tablespoon of cumin, a generous teaspoon of cayenne (although I would cut that in half and add more at the end as needed), and about a teaspoon of cinnamon.  

Add the spices to the onion and cook for a few more minutes.  

It will start to smell awesome.  

Add ground beef.  Or pork.  Or chicken.  

Once the meat is cooked through add about 3/4 can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce.  You may want to start with less and add more as you go.  If I wouldn't have added enough cayenne to bring tears to my eyes earlier on, I probably would have added the whole can of chiles.  They're mighty tasty.  

Stir to combine and let it cook away for a few minutes so the flavors can meld.  If the heat still brings tears to your eyes, a little mild salsa can be added to mellow it a bit.  

Here are all the additional toppings I threw together.  Nothing too fancy.  

I had been doing a lot of taste testing throughout the cooking process, so I wasn't too hungry when it came time to eat.  I decided to make a tostada for a lighter meal.  It's a perfect way to use up broken hard taco shells.  Just spread on some beans and meat.   

Top that with a bunch of lettuce, tomato, olives, guac, etc.  Did anyone else think of Teen Witch when I said "top that"?  Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting...  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then 1) you are really missing out and 2) you can catch up by clicking here.  

Matt took the ever popular taco route instead of the tostada route.  The last time we made tacos we were talking about those cool little taco stands our moms used when we were growing up so your taco ingredients wouldn't fall out.  Matt proved that he really does belong in law school with his great problem-solving skills when he used beans as a stand in.  Pun intended.  

So maybe the bean idea wasn't flawless...