Mexican Haystack Anyone?

speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
I am sure many of you have made this before. It really is nothing hard to make. I admit that it can be a little time consuming and down right expensive. However, the reward is delicious if done right. Here is how I made it:

(1) Brown (3)-lbs of hamburger meat, drain grease, and then add (2) packets of taco meat seasoning, bring to a boil for (4) minutes and then let stand.

(2) Chop (2) large onions (actually, I used some when cooking hamburger meat*)

(3) Dice (3) large tomatoes

(4) Prepare lettuce-wash, drain, and shred

(5) Drain (1) medium size jar of mild banana peppers

(6) Take (2) large potatoes cut in half, then take each half and cut into long strips, wash and pat dry

(7) Mix roasted potato seasoning with olive oil and pour on potato strips in a large bowl, put on lid and shake around really well, bake for 40-minutes at 400 degrees and turn every 15-20 minutes, once cooked let them cool down some and cut into 1/4" strips and place in a bowl

(8) Take 2-3 handfuls of Fritos and place on a plate, add some shredded taco cheese, then lots of taco seasoned hamburger meat, more shredded cheese, then some roasted potatoes, add mild banana peppers, place in microwave for 3 minutes*, once out top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, mild taco sauce, taco cheese, and sour cream! Oh man is it ever delicious! :):):)


There you have it my very own secret recipe......LOL!!!! What is your spin on making Mexican Haystack? Care to share? Just want to mention that I do not like any kind of beans or olives. That is why there aren't any. Thought about adding some mushrooms, no? Maybe a little bit of green pepper, no? Have any other ideas? If so, then lets hear them. Thanks! :D:p:D


Cheers,

Phil
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Sorry, not even on my radar. I make far better stuff than this! My carnitas rule! I even make my own tortillas when motivated.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
Isn't that just a nacho salad of some kind?
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
Sorry, not even on my radar. I make far better stuff than this! My carnitas rule! I even make my own tortillas when motivated.
Hey, share how you make the carnitas. Might give it a try myself. My point is that this is very easy to make and is so delicious. However, it is also a bit time consuming. BTW, it is a bit like a taco salad. Just with lots of meat.....LOL!!!!


Cheers,

Phil
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
Isn't that just a nacho salad of some kind?
Yeah, kind of. But, with a lot more meat. So easy to make and very delicious!


Cheers,

Phil
 
Last edited:
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
Was looking at some pics via google and many people add rice. Personally, I am not too fond of white rice, but I love Spanish rice. Will add that next time. Should add some more flavor. Never thought of that one before. :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Forgot to ask, what the heck is taco cheese? A queso blanco of some sort? Oaxaca or Cotija perhaps?

When I was a kid in Chicago area, early 60s, my mom had to hunt down in the larger metro area, nothing available in our lily white neighborhood of Oak Park, just simple ingredients most places carry today like tortillas, avocados, cilantro, hot sauce/taco sauce....I think we were one of very few families that got taco dinners on a regular basis. Our neighbors would "drop by" often on those nights :) Mom had fond memories of the time as a teenager she lived in Acapulco while her dad was doing business in the area.

I buy pork butts, and cook in about 6-7 pounch chunks, that fit okay in my dutch oven (6qt). Put the dutch oven on the stove and heat up some oil (I use avocado oil), liberally salt and pepper the meat and brown all sides, then remove and add a bottle of beer (your choice) and deglaze the bottom, scraping up the good bits into the sauce, I also add about a pint of chicken stock, chunks of white onions and or red onions (about one whole onion altogether),4 to 6 each jalapeno and serrano peppers, several cloves of garlic, a variety of seasonings like ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, paprika, coriander, oregano, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Sometimes I'll give it a bit of a cochinita pibil spin with adding red achiote paste and orange chunks and some coke (banana leaves are hard to find). Mix it well and put the pork back in (the onion/garlic/peppers/oranges I often reserve half to add after the meat is back in if it's an especially large chunk of pork).

Put the top on the dutch oven, bake at 250 for four to five hours. Let cool a while and then hand remove the pork and remove most of the fat as you shred the meat. Spread the shredded meat out on a baking sheet and using some sauce from the pot to flavor the meat, broil it until a bit crispy all around and yum city.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
2 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2½ tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

That is a very good taco seasoning. I think it's better than the packs you get at the store. I use smoked paprika because I like the smokey flavor, but regular paprika is fine too.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
I make my own tortillas all the time, almost weekly. Learned how to make them from my mom, used to help her when I was 5 or 6 so I knew what the masa felt like. I decided to make them as an adult and went to her and she forgot the recipe...so it took me a couple of months of experimenting to dial it back in.

 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
Who woulda thought with a name like Garcia you'd have grown up with home made tortillas? :p

I really like SW and Mexican food (there's a difference between the 2). You can get some of the best from ladies like your mom. I love home made tortillas. Nice.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
It was my grandfather's recipe. My mom was making them and he knew how he liked them to be so he tweaked her recipe until they got what they felt was right. That was the ideal for me, so I had to try to recreate it. There's a lot of little things that make the difference too - the cast iron comal being at the right temp, masa (dough) rest time, water temp, how they're rolled, etc... Takes me about 30 min a batch, not including the masa rest time.

I went to a local mom & pop restaurant where they make them right in the front of the place and I liked theirs a lot which motivated me to start making mine and I've been making them ever since.
 
panteragstk

panteragstk

Audioholic Warlord
It was my grandfather's recipe. My mom was making them and he knew how he liked them to be so he tweaked her recipe until they got what they felt was right. That was the ideal for me, so I had to try to recreate it. There's a lot of little things that make the difference too - the cast iron comal being at the right temp, masa (dough) rest time, water temp, how they're rolled, etc... Takes me about 30 min a batch, not including the masa rest time.

I went to a local mom & pop restaurant where they make them right in the front of the place and I liked theirs a lot which motivated me to start making mine and I've been making them ever since.
You're gonna have to share that recipe. I can make flour tortillas, but I've never made corn.

Please...:D
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
Forgot to ask, what the heck is taco cheese? A queso blanco of some sort? Oaxaca or Cotija perhaps?

When I was a kid in Chicago area, early 60s, my mom had to hunt down in the larger metro area, nothing available in our lily white neighborhood of Oak Park, just simple ingredients most places carry today like tortillas, avocados, cilantro, hot sauce/taco sauce....I think we were one of very few families that got taco dinners on a regular basis. Our neighbors would "drop by" often on those nights :) Mom had fond memories of the time as a teenager she lived in Acapulco while her dad was doing business in the area.

I buy pork butts, and cook in about 6-7 pounch chunks, that fit okay in my dutch oven (6qt). Put the dutch oven on the stove and heat up some oil (I use avocado oil), liberally salt and pepper the meat and brown all sides, then remove and add a bottle of beer (your choice) and deglaze the bottom, scraping up the good bits into the sauce, I also add about a pint of chicken stock, chunks of white onions and or red onions (about one whole onion altogether),4 to 6 each jalapeno and serrano peppers, several cloves of garlic, a variety of seasonings like ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, paprika, coriander, oregano, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Sometimes I'll give it a bit of a cochinita pibil spin with adding red achiote paste and orange chunks and some coke (banana leaves are hard to find). Mix it well and put the pork back in (the onion/garlic/peppers/oranges I often reserve half to add after the meat is back in if it's an especially large chunk of pork).

Put the top on the dutch oven, bake at 250 for four to five hours. Let cool a while and then hand remove the pork and remove most of the fat as you shred the meat. Spread the shredded meat out on a baking sheet and using some sauce from the pot to flavor the meat, broil it until a bit crispy all around and yum city.
Wow Chris that sounds very good. Just wished you lived much closer. It is bit of a drive, but by the sound of things it may be worth it.....LOL!!!! :):):) BTW, taco cheese is a blend of several cheeses from what I remember. Lately, I have using colby jack cheese instead. it is so delicious! I think that I meant to say taco flavored cheese blend.....LOL!!!! :D:D:D


Cheers,

Phil
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
2 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2½ tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

That is a very good taco seasoning. I think it's better than the packs you get at the store. I use smoked paprika because I like the smokey flavor, but regular paprika is fine too.
Thanks Pogre. Will give this recipe a try sometime. Right now kind of had my fill on Mexican food for a while anyways. Thanks! :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
I make my own tortillas all the time, almost weekly. Learned how to make them from my mom, used to help her when I was 5 or 6 so I knew what the masa felt like. I decided to make them as an adult and went to her and she forgot the recipe...so it took me a couple of months of experimenting to dial it back in.

Wow John that looks amazing! You have skills! Wished I could make them. They look absolutely delicious! :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
Last edited:
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
You're gonna have to share that recipe. I can make flour tortillas, but I've never made corn.

Please...:D
I agree 100%! But, John may can just start a business selling his tortillas! Then, he buy us all some nice gear.......LOL!!!! :eek::eek::eek: No really, I would like to learn how to make them myself.


Cheers,

Phil
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
I agree 100%! But, John may can just start a business selling his tortillas! Then, he buy us all some nice gear.......LOL!!!! :eek::eek::eek: No really, I would like to learn how to make them myself.

Cheers,

Phil
Those are flour :) I have made corn also, but I am partial to flour.

I've been told by my family to start a business making them lol. The family often "orders" them from me for our get togethers.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Thanks Pogre. Will give this recipe a try sometime. Right now kind of had my fill on Mexican food for a while anyways. Thanks! :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
LOL I eat it nearly daily. Never have gotten to the point of too much. However, you may need to expand your ingredient list and cooking efforts.
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
LOL I eat it nearly daily. Never have gotten to the point of too much. However, you may need to expand your ingredient list and cooking efforts.
I have eaten several big servings of my Mexican Haystack. Just ready for something different. I do agree though in that it sure would not be a bad thing if I were to expand my cooking efforts.......LOL!!!! Always looking for new ingredients, but have to be careful with the spicy stuff. No need for a trip to the ER! The sad thing is, I love spicy foods, but they sure don't love me.............LOL!!! :p:p:p


Cheers,

Phil
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
Those are flour :) I have made corn also, but I am partial to flour.

I've been told by my family to start a business making them lol. The family often "orders" them from me for our get togethers.
John we are part of your online family. Ready to take some orders? I want both flour AND corn tortillas.......LOL!!! :):):)


Cheers,

Phil
 
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