Beef Hard Tacos

Every time I visit family in San Diego, the first order of business upon our arrival, no matter what time of day it is, is to hit up Cotixan Mexican Food for one of my favorite tacos ever…the Cotixan hard beef taco.

I am in love with the tender shredded beef, tons of crisp and fresh shredded lettuce soaking up all the meat juices, bright orange finely shredded cheddar cheese, and the fried crunchy hard taco shell. That crunchy shell is everything! I enjoy the feeling of the crunching sound in each bite…yum!!!

I recreated these hard tacos at home and it turned out great and gave me all the feels! Excited to know that I’m able to make it at home anytime I miss these beautiful hard tacos.

Hard Tacos Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
2 pounds of shredded beef
1 bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese or your favorite cheese
1 bag shredded lettuce
Hot Sauce
Oil for frying

Shredded Beef Ingredients:
4 quarts of water
3-4 pounds beef brisket flat or beef chuck, cut into large chunks
1 large onion, halved
2 bay leaves
3 beef bouillon cubes
8 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Steps:

Make Shredded Beef – In a medium stockpot, add water, beef, onion, bay leaves, beef bouillon, garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low partially covered for 3-4 hours until the brisket is fork-tender.

Shred Beef – Let the beef cool for half-hour. Place the beef in a bowl and shred the beef with two forks. Season shredded beef with salt to taste. Add some of the braising liquid to keep it moist.

Make hard taco – Add a few ounces of shredded beef in the middle of a corn tortilla. Spread the beef out across one side of the tortilla and fold the tortilla in half. Repeat this process until all the prepared tacos are assembled. Fry each hard taco in oil over medium to medium-high heat until the hard tacos are golden brown. Allow the hard taco to cool down for a few minutes and gently stuff each taco with shredded lettuce and shredded cheese.

Tips:

• Brisket flat was on the leaner side and had a amazing beefy taste. If you want it a little fattier, I reccomend using beef chuck.
• The shredded beef can be used for any other Mexican dishes as well like burritos, enchiladas, or normal tacos!