Take Me To A Taco Stand....

Yes, I have to admit it, my favorite foods come from a taco stand. Being so close to the border, we’ve got a few. And they are the best!

My current favorite is a little stand called Vaqueros (Cowboys)…carne asada tacos, quesadillas with beans and my new favorite papa’s vaquero (cowboy potatoes) are just a few of the choices.

Something about me....I’m kind of a health nut. The type that will drink smoothies with spinach and fish oil just to offset all of the lard and grease taken in at my favorite taco stand. I know a little strange...

Anyway here’s the Borderland Adventures, Papas De La Frontera version of Papa’s Vaqueros Con Carne Venado (Venison Cowboy Potatoes):

6 Servings

Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes

1 1b. thin cut venison steaks (grilled and chopped into small pieces...great way to use those random cuts on meat you have)

1 tbl. butter per potato

16 oz. sour cream

2 cups queso fresco (feta will work as a substitute also)

2 cups monetary jack cheese shredded

Tortillas (flour or corn)

Hot Sauce

Mojo Crillo Marinade

1	cup olive oil
1/3	cup orange juice
1/3	cup key lime juice
8	cloves garlic, minced
1	tablespoon ground cumin
1	tablespoon ground coriander
1/2	habanero chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2	tablespoons kosher salt
1	tablespoon granulated sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Add the mixture and venison to a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

Directions:

Oil and roll baking potatoes in coarse salt.

Next give them a few stabs with a fork.

Then place them in the oven at 350 F for about an hour.

In the meantime, fire up the grill and cook the venison (I typically marinate the meat in mojo criollo) Grill the venison for just a few minutes on each side, depending on how thin your meat is.

Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the carne asada across the grain on a diagonal. Then chop it into bite sized pieces.



Set your oven to broil, and go to work loading up the potatoes. Add the butter, carne asada and both cheeses. Place the potatoes in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.



Once the potatoes are out of the oven, add the sour cream and hot sauce. We usually scoop the mixture out of the potato and into the tortilla. Ahh...a delicious cowboy potato...Borderland Adventure style. Enjoy!

Oh..I almost forgot to mention, these are great to take along on a camping or hunting trip. Premake the potatoes, leaving out the sour cream and hot sauce. Wrap them in foil and when you're ready, heat them over the fire...just like our favorite breakfast burritos.