Riot Taco Salad

Riot Taco Salad, exclusively Skirt in the Kitchen

It’s a riot of taco seasoning, spices, and flavors for a great summer salad.  Who can resist a good crunch of Doritos with Taco Bell products?  Throw in some jalapenos, the right elements to add, and you’re set for your memorial weekend.

Always bring meat to room temperature and make sure that the grill is hot before frying.Brown 2 pounds lean ground beef with chopped onion.  Have as little accumulation of grease in the skillet as possible.Immediately season with Grill Mates Applewood Rub.  Don’t be “lean” on the amount used for the meat.  It’s got the smokiness of the chili pepper.Chop and add a large jalapeno pepper.Chopped pickled jalapeno peppers will do okay, but I prefer the fresh jalapeno.  It’s bolder.  I’ve made this both ways, however. 

This is an excellent brand, just what my father loved, this very brand.  He’d buy these, whole, in the large cans from a little old grocery store in Nickerson, KS.  Sweet memory…  He and my little boy would shop there with their cowboy boots on, wearing their cowboy hats, lol…  Grandpa Glen called my son, Cowboy, because he would usually follow Dad around–playing “cowboy”!Moving on–When the hamburger has browned with the onion and peppers, stir in 2 full packets of Taco Bell brand taco seasoning.  Add just enough water for the right consistency for taco salad, just to moisten–not what is suggested on the recipe of the packet.  If you follow the directions on the back of the seasoning packet, you’ll end up with having too much liquid in the taco salad.

If not cooling in the skillet, transfer the meat into separate dishes to cool before building the salad, just so that the chips do not get soggy.

For this particular salad, I choose the Spicy Nacho Doritos.  I think it works the best.  Put half the bag into a very large bowl for a crowd, the size of bowl you’d take to a family reunion–yeah, that monster of a size.

You’re going to mix half the Doritos into the ingredients, then add the last half, or nearly half that is left, right before serving.  This way, you keep a good chip crunch that is essential for a salad.

I happen to have horseradish leaves and fresh chives that I’m putting in mine.  I want the robust flavor of herb and something peppery-green to mix in with the lettuce.  If you raise horseradishes, then good.  If not, you might be able to find these at farmers’ markets or in a special produce section of your local grocery market.I’m coiling these after cutting away from the main stem; coiling, then cutting the rings of coils.  I like clipping the chives with scissors.Next, cut the iceberg lettuce.  I generally put in all if not close to a full head of lettuce.Drain a small can of sliced black olives and stir them into the meat.Pour Taco Bell taco sauce into the meat.  For this salad, I use 1 1/2 bottles, possibly a little more.

I chose the mild sauce so that the salad would have a slight bite to it in the way of spices, yet not be impossible for the children to eat.Add the lettuce and fresh cilantro leaves.It would be alright to put in some more chips.Now the meat.Cut 1 good tomato and take out the seeds and membrane so there’s not any liquid making a soggy texture of the salad.Add the tomato pieces,then more lettuce.Stir in Mexican blend/taco blend cheese.Add the remainder of the Doritos.

You’re set!  Don’t forget the sour cream.

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