GF: Taco Seasoning

Before finding out I was gluten intolerant, my family would always make Mexican dishes using spice packets from the store. Unfortunately, nearly all of them contain "whe*t flour" as an ingredient. My best guess is that the gluten is supposed to help the spice stick to the meat. Whatever the reason, it means that I cannot use the pre-made spice packets. So I took it upon myself to make up my own spice mix. Essentially, I noted the spices used in the pre-made spice packets, and tried mixing them up.

There are two versions below the fold, but the instructions for use are the same:

Brown meat (usually beef), drain fat, add 2 T of spice mix per pound of meat and approximately 3/4 c of water per pound of meat, cover and let simmer for 10-20 minutes, uncovering for the last few if there's still too much water. Serve with your favorite taco fixings.

Here's my very first attempt. If you like very spicy tacos, it's pretty good. If not, go down to the milder version.

Spicy Taco Mix

5 t cumin
6 t chili powder
3 t cayenne or red pepper
3 t oregano
2 t paprika
1/2 t garlic or onion salt
1/2 t salt
(use 2 T spice + 3/4 c. water per pound of meat)

Mild Taco Mix

5 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 t cayenne or red pepper
3 t oregano
6 t paprika
1/2 t garlic or onion salt
1/2 t salt
(use 2 T spice + 3/4 c. water per pound of meat)

Essentially, I just switched the amounts of chili powder and paprika, and decreased the red pepper. This time, I tried 3 t chili pepper to 6 t paprika and left the red pepper at 3 t. It's just a touch spicy to me, which means that my mom would hate it. As for the various salts, they're completely optional, imo. You can always salt the meat itself, and I usually put a fresh onion or garlic clove in with the meat anyway.

Oh, the level of spiciness will also depend on the kind of chili powder you get. Some are very mild, while some are almost as hot as the red pepper. So keep this in mind, depending on where your preferences lie.

The mixes result in 20 t and 18 t of mix respectively. 18 t = 6 T = enough for three batches if you cook one pound of meat at a time. I usually mix up a double batch and keep it in a jar.
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