Tacos De-Constructed
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 cup quick grits
- ⅔ cup cheddar or pepper jack (or a mix), grated
- Ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced.
- 4 teaspoons chile powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin, plus extra for seasoning beans
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds) stemmed and washed thoroughly; leaves torn into large pieces
- 1 cup cooked and drained black beans
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Plain yogurt or sour cream, salsa, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt to boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in grits and, stirring frequently, cook until tender and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and season with pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef; cook until it has lost its raw color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour off excess fat. Add half the garlic; cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add chile powder, cumin, and cayenne, and ⅔ cup of water. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated. Turn into a medium bowl; cover and keep warm.
- Add olive oil and remaining garlic to empty skillet; sauté until fragrant, about a minute. Add chard; sauté until wilted and tender, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper
- Place black beans in a medium microwave-safe bowl; season to taste with salt, pepper, and sprinkle of cumin. Microwave on high power until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Divide grits among 4 large soup plates. Top with chard, then with meat and finally black beans. Garnish each with a dollop of yogurt, a few spoonfuls of salsa, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.
yuh know? I have left-over grits in my fridge right now that I was trying to figure out how to use . . . and I have swiss chard in my garden that needs picked . . . guess what I’m making??
Love it! Any excuse to use grits is great, in my book.
Sweet, ever-loving awesome! That is one of the most evil-genius ideas I’ve seen in quite a long time (someone did recently send me a recipe for lobster/bacon mac n’ cheese). I think every southern, foodie, meat-loving bone in my body is quivering with the insane anticipation of making this dish.
Great recipe. Just tried this tonight. My girlfriend doesn’t eat beef so I substituted ground turkey (half thigh meat for fattiness and half breast meat) and it turned out fine. Did embellish a bit more cheese in the grits though! 🙂
Interesting take on a deconstructed taco. I never would have thought to use grits! Swiss chard is a great idea too. I think I’ll have to make this dish this week!