Californa style beef tacos

When I make stock, it always seems a shame not to use the meat that is strained away in the end, even though it has had the dickens cooked out of it.  For chicken, I use mostly wings and necks, so it isn't that much of an issue.  But for a beef stock, I often buy oxtails, which can be very meaty, and the beef very tender after a trip through the pressure cooker, which is my weapon of choice for producing great stocks without the interminable wait, skimming, and fussing.

I made beef stock the other day in anticipation of roasting a rib roast for Christmas (see above), and I had all of this wonderful shredded beef as a result.  That sent my mind back to my favorite taco joint of all time (Chris will remember this) in Salt Lake City.  Of course I can't remember the name of it because I am increasingly senile, but I certainly do remember the California-style beef tacos, which are much tastier and much lighter than those ubiquitous in most other places, featuring rubbery hamburger drowning in cheap cheese, sour cream, and iceberg lettuce. (Though I will admit that a well-prepared version of that style, minus the  "rubbery" and the "cheap" does have its place in my occasional cravings.)

A California-style taco, at least to my knowledge, as well as a traditional Mexican taco, is served on a soft, fresh corn tortilla, the meat is shredded rather than ground (at least in the ones I gravitate toward), and garnished with little but some chopped onions and cilantro, along with your choice of salsa and a squeeze of lime.  I had my shredded beef, but it wasn't cooked in the aromatics I prefer for tacos, so I doused it with a little of the freshly made beef broth, and added in a handful of chilis, cilantro stems, and salt to infuse the meat.  (I never salt my stocks, so the meat was bland.)  While that simmered, I made some corn tortillas, which isn't difficult, but if you buy, buy the best ones you can find.  Just be warned, making a trip to the Mexican market can take longer than just making the damn things yourself.

The beauty of these tacos is their simplicity and lightness--

no fat added anywhere, and the satisfaction of spicy salsa, 

crunchy onions, and aromatic cilantro

To up the nutritional punch, I made a side of black beans and veggies, with both hot and sweet peppers, onions, cumin, and cilantro.

no added fat here, either--I just simmered the veggies

in a bit of the beef stock, which was already defatted

Sorry for the lack of pics in this post.  Several of the pics I took were too blurry to post.  I am a better cook than I am a photographer.  I don't know why my little point-and-shoot does great on some shots, and so terrible on others.