Tostadas de Machaca

Appetizer

By el chino latino cocina on March 23, 2015 • ( 6 Comments )

I recently noticed that I have not posted a recipe for tostadas and I could not believe it. I LOVE tostadas! Along with enchiladas, they are one of my favorite foods.

And they can take on so many flavors and toppings. They can be simple or complex. One of my favorite snacks growing up was a tostada with some refried beans, Tapatío* sauce and cotija cheese. Simple, crunchy and delicious!

If you’ve only had the Taco Bell version of tostadas, you need to try this one.

Tostadas de Machaca (Shredded Beef Tostadas)

4 – 6 corn tortillas, fried until crispy (see recipe below) or store-bought tostadas

2 cups machaca / shredded beef (see recipe here)

2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

½ medium cucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise into four wedges and chopped

6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider or sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced and diced

½ cup fresh salsa, purchased or homemade

½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Refried beans, optional

Prepare the tortillas and the shredded beef (see recipes below).

In a large bowl, toss the shredded beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and cilantro to combine. It should look like a beef salad. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk well and pour over the reserved ingredients. Toss to combine.

Take a crispy tostada and spread refried beans to cover (optional). Place some of the “beef salad” on the tostada and top with some salsa, avocado and queso fresco. Serve.

Tostadas (Crispy-Fried Tortillas)

Vegetable oil

12 corn tortillas (6 -7 inch)

In a medium skillet, add oil to about 1 inch deep. Heat the oil until the oil begins to shimmer and it sizzles when you add a piece of tortilla. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, until they are just getting golden. When they are ready, drain them on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Let them cool and they are ready to use. You can use tongs or a large spatula to fry them, but I think tongs are easier to use. Once cool, you can store them in plastic bags for a few days. You can also break them apart and use them as chips for salsa.

If you don’t want to make your own tostadas, you can use the smaller Old El Paso-type tostada shells, but they are not as good. Look for tostada shells in the area where your market sells tortillas. You can also make these tostadas with flour tortillas, but I prefer corn tortillas.

*Note: Just so you know, I am not getting anything from Tapatío, but I like their sauce. Here is the link to their website: http://www.tapatiohotsauce.com/

Categories: Appetizer, Beef, Main Dish

Tagged as: avocado, cilantro, cucumber, Machaca, Marge Poore, Mexican cuisine, queso fresco, radishes, Refried beans, romaine lettuce, salsa, shredded beef, tomatoes, tostadas