Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (181 page)
MAKES 8 TACOS, SERVING 4
Tomato sauce is sold in cans in the same aisle that carries canned whole tomatoes. Do not use jarred pasta sauce in its place. There’s no need to prepare all of the toppings listed below, but cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes are, in our opinion, essential.
BEEF FILLING
2 | teaspoons vegetable oil or corn oil |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
2 | tablespoons chili powder |
1 | teaspoon ground cumin |
1 | teaspoon ground coriander |
¹⁄ | teaspoon dried oregano |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | pound 90 percent lean ground beef |
¹⁄ | cup tomato sauce |
¹⁄ | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
2 | teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider) |
1 | teaspoon packed brown sugar |
SHELLS AND TOPPINGS
8 | HOME-FRIED TACO SHELLS |
4 | ounces cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup) |
2 | cups shredded iceberg lettuce |
2 | small tomatoes, cored and chopped fine |
¹⁄ | cup sour cream |
1 | avocado, pitted and chopped fine |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh cilantro |
Hot sauce |
1. FOR THE FILLING:
Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat up with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking meat up so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. TO SERVE:
Using wide, shallow spoon, divide filling evenly among taco shells; place 2 tacos on individual plates. Serve, passing toppings separately.
MAKES 8 TACO SHELLS, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
BEEF TACOS
Be sure to use a heavy-bottomed skillet for this recipe. Taco shells can be fried before you make filling and rewarmed in 200-degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving.
³⁄ | cup vegetable oil |
8 | (6-inch) corn tortillas |
1.
Heat oil in 8-inch skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees, about 5 minutes (oil should bubble when small piece of tortilla is dropped in; tortilla piece should rise to surface in 2 seconds and be light golden brown in about 1¹⁄
2
minutes). Meanwhile, line rimmed baking sheet with double layer of paper towels.
2.
Using tongs to hold tortilla, slip half of tortilla into hot oil. With metal spatula in other hand, keep half of tortilla submerged in oil. Fry until just set, but not brown, about 30 seconds.
3.
Flip tortilla; hold tortilla open about 2 inches while keeping bottom submerged in oil. Fry until golden brown, about 1¹⁄
2
minutes. Flip again and fry other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds.
4.
Transfer shell upside down to prepared baking sheet to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adjusting heat as necessary to keep oil between 350 and 375 degrees.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
As all-in-one meals go, empanadas—the South American equivalent of Britain’s pasties, or meat turnovers—are hard to beat: a moist, savory filling encased in a tender yet sturdy crust. But most recipes for empanadas are enormously time-consuming and fussy. We wanted a streamlined recipe that would be hearty enough to stand as a centerpiece on our dinner table. The first step was to enhance ground chuck with aromatics, spices, and a mixture of chicken broth and bread, which kept the beef tender as it cooked. For the crust, we made a few Latin-inspired changes to our
FOOLPROOF PIE DOUGH
. We traded some of the flour for masa harina, the cornmeal used in Mexican cooking, omitted the shortening, and switched to all butter for better flavor. Finally, we finished our empanadas by brushing the tops with oil for a shiny, crunchy crust. Placing them on a preheated oiled baking sheet ensured that the underside of the empanadas got as crisp as the top.
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS, SERVING 4 TO 6
The alcohol in the dough is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute. Masa harina can be found in the international foods aisle with other Latin American foods or in the baking aisle with the flour. If you cannot find masa harina, replace it with additional all-purpose flour (for a total of 4 cups).
FILLING
1 | slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters |
2 | tablespoons plus ¹⁄ |
1 | pound 85 percent lean ground beef |
Salt and pepper | |
1 | tablespoon olive oil |
2 | onions, chopped fine |
4 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon ground cumin |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cloves |
¹⁄ | cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped coarse |
2 | hard-cooked eggs, chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup raisins, chopped coarse |
¹⁄ | cup green olives, pitted and chopped coarse |
4 | teaspoons cider vinegar |
DOUGH
3 | cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour |
1 | cup (5 ounces) masa harina |
1 | tablespoon sugar |
2 | teaspoons salt |
12 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup cold vodka or tequila |
¹⁄ | cup cold water |
5 | tablespoons olive oil |
1. FOR THE FILLING:
Process bread and 2 tablespoons broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ³⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well combined, 6 to 8 pulses.
2.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cloves; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ¹⁄
2
cup broth and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. FOR THE DOUGH:
Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 2 pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.
4.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
5. TO ASSEMBLE:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, place 1 rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll out each dough piece out on lightly floured counter into 6-inch circle about ¹⁄
8
inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough. Place about ¹⁄
3
cup filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges of empanadas using fork. (Empanadas can be made through step 5, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
6. TO BAKE:
Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each hot baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.
Omit raisins and cook ¹⁄
2
cup frozen corn kernels and ¹⁄
2
cup rinsed canned black beans along with onions in step 2.
MAKES 12 EMPANADAS, SERVING 4 TO 6
Portuguese linguiça can be substituted for the chorizo. Use Spanish chorizo sausage, which is fully cooked, in this recipe.
FILLING
1 | slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters |
2 | tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | pound 85 percent lean ground chuck |
Salt and pepper | |
6 | tablespoons olive oil |
6 | ounces Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | onions, chopped fine |
4 | garlic cloves minced |
1 | tablespoon ground chipotle powder |
1 | teaspoon ground cumin |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh cilantro |
¹⁄ | cup raisins, chopped coarse |
4 | teaspoons cider vinegar |
DOUGH
3 | cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour |
1 | cup (5 ounces) masa harina |
1 | tablespoon sugar |
2 | teaspoons salt |
12 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup cold vodka or tequila |
¹⁄ | cup cold water |
5 | tablespoons olive oil |
1. FOR THE FILLING:
Process bread and broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ³⁄
4
teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well combined, 6 to 8 pulses.
2.
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl using slotted spoon, leaving rendered fat in skillet. Add onions to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and reserved chorizo and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, raisins, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
3. FOR THE DOUGH:
Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 2 pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.
4.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
5. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, place 1 rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on lightly floured counter into 6-inch circle about ¹⁄
8
inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough. Place about ¹⁄
3
cup filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges of empanadas using fork. (Empanadas can be made through step 5, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
6. TO BAKE:
Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each hot baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.
