distinct to its maker

March 09 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 21 comments

A steady rotation of meals made up the dinner menus of my youth. My mother would try out a new recipe every now and again, but, on most nights, we returned faithfully to the old standby’s. Thinking about these meals conjures up in my mind’s eye a particular night or nights sitting around the dining table with my family. They’re time-and-place meals: hamburgers in the summer, eaten on the deck or at the dining table with the screen door allowing a cool breeze in; stir fry, a strictly-weekends-only meal that required my mom to pull out the big, well-worn wok, in which she would first fry wontons and then set vegetables sizzling; chili, usually eaten on fall evenings, with a pot big enough to signal leftovers in the coming evenings; BLT’s, served build-your-own and involving a painful wait for your turn at the toaster; my lesser favorites, like tater tot hot dish, sloppy joes, meatloaf.

It was taco night, though, that suited me to a tee. For one, there was order, something that pleased me even at a very young age. My mother would line up a long row of white cereal bowls on the counter, one for the shredded iceberg, one for finely-diced onion, one for cubed tomato, one for the shredded cheddar. And about the cheddar: that was another thing I liked. The task of grating the big orange brick of cheddar into a shaggy pile of curled whisps of cheese often fell to me. I’d climb up on a kitchen stool, set the big metal box grater on top of a dinner plate and scape the block of cheese along the side of the grater with the largest holes. I threw my whole upper body into the task and the tip of my tongue very likely peeked out between my pressed lips, a sign of my enduring concentration. I’d peer inside the cavity of the grater every now and again to check my progress, stopping when I had assured myself there was enough to fill the waiting cereal bowl. Naturally, I’d steal a lump of cheese to snack on—a reward for my efforts.

Then there were the smells: sizzling meat (usually ground beef) browning in a skillet; the perfume of cumin; the warmed tortillas, smelling faintly of just-baked bread. It was these smells that drew everyone into the kitchen, hovering around the counter-turned-taco-fixing-station.

But, best of all, tacos were totally customizable, which was nothing short of thrilling for the kid-me. During the brief trip through the lettuce-onion-tomato-cheese assembly line, I was the master of my own destiny. Or dinner. Whatever. It was like mad libs or Mister Potato Head—each person’s end result would be similar, but distinct to its maker.

I liked this suit-yourself-and-only-yourself part so much, in fact, that I’m still customizing taco night. A couple decades later, I’ve updated taco night to suit my tastes today, which means that, while I still have a healthy amount of nostalgia for my mother’s recipe, ground beef and shredded iceberg and orange cheddar are rarely involved.

For the most recent installment of taco night, we braised two turkey drumsticks (a cut of poultry I’d never thought to employ, but given its contribution to this recipe and its very kind price tag, I will be sure to do so in the future). These simmered in a chunky sauce of canned tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, roughly chopped onions, a sprig of oregano and a cinnamon stick, to which we added a bottle of beer, for a good while, until the dark turkey meat had gone tender, falling away from the bone and lending itself to shredding—a result not all that unlike a slow-cooked, shredded pork shoulder (quicker and more healthful, no less).

The shredded turkey gets doused in the braising liquid, after it’s been pureed, and from there, the magic happens between you and the assembly line. I opted for a smear of sour cream, a handful of shredded red cabbage, a few rounds of sliced, magenta-ringed radish, some bright green cilantro leaves,and a squeeze of lime. I’m not even sure what Kevin’s toppings were and, really, it doesn’t matter. With tacos, to each her own.

Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos
Minimally Adapted from Food & Wine

Yield: 12 tacos (or about 4 servings)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Two 1-pound bone-in turkey thighs or drumsticks, skin and fat removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch dice, plus minced white onion, for serving
1 large oregano sprig
1 large jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomato
1 ancho chile—stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped or torn [we substituted a healthy pinch of dried chili flakes]
One 2-inch cinnamon stick
One 12-ounce bottle Mexican dark beer, such as Modelo Negro [we used Pacifico, because we like to drink it otherwise]
1 cup water
12 corn or flour tortillas
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs, for serving [or, per the post above, whatever your heart desires]

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the turkey with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the casserole along with the garlic, diced onion, oregano and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato, ancho and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, until the tomato releases its juices.

Return the turkey to the casserole, add the beer and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the turkey thighs are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the turkey to a plate and let cool. Discard the oregano sprig and cinnamon stick and boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 12 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until softened and heated through. Remove the turkey meat and shred it. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and puree. Return the sauce to the pot and stir in the shredded turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the turkey onto the tortillas. Top with minced onion, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs and serve.

21 comments so far. »
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A Rockridge Life says on March 09 2010 at 5:42 pm:

yum+brilliant. You literally just solved tonight’s dinner dilemma. I’ll be adding serrano chilies (I have a ton left over from a cocktail party featuring a serrano cocktail) and Daisy sour cream on the side, which my sister in law commonly refers to as “dream crème” (so far we have not found a sour cream, organic or otherwise, that stands up to Daisy’s level of heavenly creaminess).
Bit of Butter says on March 09 2010 at 5:43 pm:

Those look fantastic. I may have to make these on Saturday!
Jessica says on March 09 2010 at 5:57 pm:

Never made turkey tacos, they sound fabulous!
Maddie says on March 09 2010 at 6:58 pm:

Beer in the braising liquid sounds like a great touch! And I like seeing recipes with dark meat featured; it seems that white meat is so ubiquitous these days, I’ve almost forgotten how flavorful and tender the rest of the bird is.
RonnisSweetTooth says on March 09 2010 at 8:12 pm:

Kristen, how much did this make? Did you two have leftovers for days?
RonnisSweetTooth says on March 09 2010 at 8:13 pm:

Sorry for spelling your name wrong, Kristin.
Ali says on March 09 2010 at 8:17 pm:

“I threw my whole upper body into the task and the tip of my tongue very likely peeked out between my pressed lips, a sign of my enduring concentration.” I totally remember this, as well as you whipping those to die for bangs aside as you begin to work up an appetite. Tacos were (and still are) one of my favorites, even if I did have to leave Meredy and Brett-y-o for a bit. Great memory, Dubs!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on March 09 2010 at 8:28 pm:

A Rockridge Life: I fixated on serrano cocktail. I’m going to need to look into that!

Bit of Butter: You won’t regret it! Let us know how it goes.

Jessica: It was my first time, too. I loved them.

Maddie: And cheap, too! It was fun to try out a new cut here.

RonnisSweetTooth: No problem on the name and great question. The recipe yields 12 medium-sized tacos. I’d say it serves 4 generously (i.e., likely to be leftovers). I’ve updated the recipe to reflect this.

Ali: You had to bring up the bangs, didn’t you. But you’re right, that was totally part of the process. Those things were a nuisance. Speaking of great memories, had totally forgotten about the Ali-Brett-Meredy trio: one for the ages. xo.
Heather @ chik n' pastry says on March 09 2010 at 9:07 pm:

how cool! i just blogged about the exact same recipe last week! i was definitely intrigued about the beer braised turkey in the form of a taco – and it was definitely worth the wait. yum. i definitely agree though – tacos are awesome since they’re infinitely customizable! great minds think alike, i guess
kate says on March 10 2010 at 6:40 am:

Well now…it’s only 7:30 in the morning here, but I can taste those sure as the coffee in my cup, and can’t imagine anything more delicious than a pulled turkey taco for breakfast. I was a taco loving kid too, and a cheese shredder, but no more. Thank goodness some tastes you outgrow. The delights of changing up taco night make for endless fun and delight. My current fave is fish tacos with a tangy slaw topping, but this one really needs to be explored.
carolyn says on March 10 2010 at 10:45 am:

this post totally made me smile. i, too, remember helping my mom make tacos. i can still picture a big pan of sauteed ground beef on the kitchen table surrounded by, as you say, cereal bowls of toppings. taco night was one of my favorites…
Kate @WhiskAway says on March 10 2010 at 11:27 am:

This recipe sounds incredible- I love making pork carnitas in the same way with a long braise with beer but turkey legs?! Whoa awesome new taco night on my horizon. Love the beer and tomatoes, and the pureeing of the sauce- my fav part of regular carnitas!
The Rowdy Chowgirl says on March 10 2010 at 11:28 am:

This brings back so many memories! Growing up, we had a standard rotation of dinners, too. Taco night was such a treat. I loved the smell of the ground beef cooking with it’s packet of taco seasoning mix…

But the turkey leg recipe is much more useful to me nowadays. I’ve been trying to move away from boneless chicken breasts and incorporate all the parts of poultry into my cooking, but I still get a bit stuck when it comes to how to use the dark meat in an appetizing way. Thanks for a creative new idea!
Dawn (KitchenTravels) says on March 10 2010 at 1:35 pm:

Why do I continue to torture myself by checking my fave food blogs before lunch? Between Tim’s, David’s and your recipes today, I am dying. Love the idea of using turkey legs. I’ve got two smoked legs in my fridge right now, awaiting their turn in a white bean soup, but I’ll have to pick up some fresh ones for a taco night… soon.

Have you ever tasted/made the pickled red onions served at almost every taco stand in MX? They would be incredible with these tacos.
my little expat kitchen says on March 12 2010 at 7:04 am:

I really enjoyed your story of this dish. Isn’t it remarkable how our childhood memories are the ones that we carry so fondly with us for the rest of our lives? Especially those involving food (at least for me)
Your recipe sounds so delicious. I haven’t had lots of tacos in my life. Being Greek we have a slightly similar thing called souvlaki.
I have to try your taco though!
Magda
Andrea [bella eats] says on March 12 2010 at 7:59 am:

This sounds absolutely divine. I adore taco night, and like you have evolved past ground beef and lettuce and yellow cheddar. Although, on occasion, that combination has its place too.

Love the addition of radishes and cilantro, such a nice Spring touch!
Bit of Butter says on March 13 2010 at 1:28 am:

Alrighty — I’m making them on Sunday. I was thinking about just using chicken thighs…what are your thoughts?
Cam says on March 27 2010 at 4:03 pm:

I tried this recipe, but instead of making tacos, I spooned the meat onto arepas with refried beans, sharp cheddar cheese, parsley, and non-fat yogurt (instead of sour cream). It came out delicious! I think I will use a little less cinnamon next time, but other than that, we greatly enjoyed it.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on March 27 2010 at 4:43 pm:

Bit of Butter: I’m way late on this, but I think chicken thighs would be fine.

Cam: That sounds wonderful. Thanks for reporting back!
caitlin says on April 01 2010 at 5:05 pm:

I wish I had something far more brilliant to add, but alas, I only have a simple thank you. I think that tacos may be one of those “perfect foods” and regularly rotate between pork and fish (with an occasional chicken or shredded beef in the mix). Cannot wait to try this turkey version. And from you no less, as you helped me master my first “grown up and on my own” turkey this past Thanksgiving.
David Benton says on April 05 2010 at 6:51 pm:

I’m way late in commenting on this one, but I finally got around to making this today. Yum. Definitely something I will make again.

One note/question: surely “boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup” is a typo, yes? I reduced the sauce to a nice barbecue sauce consistency and there were 2 cups or more left.