beef and potato picadillo tacos with tomatillo salsa

This is my kind of food. A recipe that is made to take you through the week in almost any form. I mean, I ALWAYS start with a taco, but it inevitably ends up on my eggs, on top of some greens or an avocado, on another version of a taco with eggs, or by itself for a quick snack. Smack your lips right now. Yum.

And that all depends if it lasts beyond our dinner because it’s tricky when five people love something. I can’t imagine a big enough batch for five sets of leftovers, but I probably should because everyone here would be happy to have their own stash for the week with signs that say don’t touch. It’s precious.

It’s also a lesson in improving an average pound of grass-fed ground beef with a basic white potato. I love both of these things. I just do. My body craves red meat once in a while, and I’m not at the point in the spring where my body has completely given up the need for cozy food like potatoes. Basically, I’m still cold.

While I love both of these ingredients mentioned above, it’s the green sauce I’m most in love with, and this, my friends, WILL take us the rest of the way into spring.

You’ve seen my Rick Bayless love over the years, and he’s taught and retaught me all the ways to roast up things like poblanos and tomatillos, with ingredients like garlic, cilantro and maybe a squeeze of lime. Blend and call it a salsa, sauce or spring. You choose. It’s time.

Here you go, our current family favorite stuffing for your taco needs – breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Speaking of tacos, I’ve made these tortillas in the picture above and below three times with Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour. I was trying to replicate a thin grain-free yuca root tortilla as we had at PICNIK in Austin. I’m still working on a thinner version, but these are solid, friends. And easy to whip up!

They are thicker and more like the flour tortilla texture, which consequently does make them filling. (Or maybe that’s the potatoes?) But anyways, if you are looking for a homemade alternative, I’ve had better luck with these than with trying to make fresh corn tortillas since I cannot find fresh masa around this city yet.

Here’s the taco filling, and the tortilla options are up to you.

Beef and Potato Picadillo Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes peeled and small diced
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Salsa Ingredients

• 8 matillos husked rinsed and halved
• 8 cloves of garlic unpeeled
• 1 jalapeno whole
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 avocado

Instructions

• Preheat oven to broil. On a cookie sheet lay halved tomatillos open side down, unpeeled garlic cloves, and jalapeño. Broil for 10-15 minutes total, turning garlic and jalapeño every 3-4 minutes as skins blacken on all sides.
• If garlic is browned or blackened on all sides, remove from oven and return the tomatillos and pepper until there are black spots and vegetables are fully softened. Peel the garlic and let vegetables cool while you continue with the meat and potatoes.
• In a saute pan, cook ground beef and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper until browned and crumbled into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• In a large metal saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, onions and another light sprinkle of salt and pepper in a single layer and saute. Do not disturb for about 5 minutes. If it seems too hot, turn it down but try not to stir so the potatoes can create the browned coating of hash-browned potatoes.
• After 5 minutes, with a sharp-edged spatula, scrape the potatoes thoroughly and continue to saute. Add more clarified butter if the pan seems dry. Cook potatoes and onions, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes more until potatoes are just tender but not starting to mush. Do not over stir.
• To finish salsa, scrape all vegetables and juices with peeled garlic into a blender. Add the cilantro leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few pinches of pepper and blend until pureed.Taste and add more seasoning, and a squeeze of lime if you like. Remove 3/4 cup of salsa from the blender jar and set aside for later. Add 1/2 avocado to the blender jar and puree for final salsa topping. Set aside.
• When potatoes are just done, stir in ground beef and 3/4 cup reserved salsa. Salt and pepper to taste as you desire.
• To eat: fill tortillas with beef and potato filling, top with avocado salsa.

Other optional toppings: cilantro, avocado slices, and limes.

Makes 12 - 15 tacos

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Author: Heather Bursch

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Enjoy!

Last Updated on June 15, 2022 by Heather Bursch