Picadillo Filling For Tacos A La The Border Cookbook

In a heavy skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the meat and fry until it is gray. Stir in the flour, oregano, and chile. Then add the potato, stock, and salt and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid has thickened but the picadillo remains moist.

Heat at least 1 inch of oil in another skillet until the oil ripples. With tongs, dunk a tortilla in the oil long enough for it to go limp, a matter of seconds. Don't let the tortilla turn crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and drain them.

Fill a tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of picadillo, fold in half, and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and picadillo.

Raise the temperature of the oil to 350F. Fry the taco, in batches, until lightly browned and crisp. Drain well. Remove the toothpicks and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Serve the tacos immediately accompanied with hot sauce and sour cream.