After trying TacoDeli’s bison picadillo tacos, and becoming intrigued by this wonderful red meat.. I decided to try making my own version for dinner last night.

I had to start with a little research into traditional forms of Picadillo. With roots in Cuba and Puerto Rico, this meat hash can include olives, capers, tomatoes, raisins, and pototoes. The name comes from the spanish word “picar” which the means to mince or chop. Its often used as a stuffing for empanadas. [ the delicious history of picadillo ]

I decided to take the quick route with my preparation and start with a pre-packaged picadillo seasoning.. I found an all-natural seasoning from Nueva Cocina at Central Market that worked out nicely.. It includes sun-dried raisins, olives, vinegar powder, garlic powder, etc..

But i couldnt just go with the store-bought flavors, i had to add my own twist.. So i sauteed some sweet potatoes and pickled carrots in olive oil to create a nice hash with a bold color..
next I browned my bison meat, making sure not to overcook it as bison meat cooks faster than other red meats.
then i combined the picadillo seasoning, the sweet potato hash, some fresh ground cloves, and a sprinkle of sharffen-berger cocoa powder (gotta rep chocotown.org dog) to bring it all together..I covered the picadillo and set the burner on low to let the flavors all meld together while I steamed some rice and heated up some fresh HEB flour tortillas.

the finished tacos were amazing. the taste was so savory and comforting. bison is a great meat to cook with because its quick, flavorful, and healthy. [Bison Health Benefits]

I often concoct rather interesting late-night/early-morning snacks after returning home from the bars: canned tuna and white rice remains my most notable failure. Last weekend, upon waking at 7:30 a.m. after a wedding to find all my usual breakfast taco haunts closed (who is open at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday, anyway?), I once again took matters into my own hands, and ended up making the best damn gourmet breakfast taco I’ve ever had. Might this be a chance to turn my tendency toward the drunk munchies into a career?

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Feta cheese
• Cracked pepper
• Portobello mushrooms
• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Roasted red bell peppers
• Pine nuts
• Olive oil tortilla wrap

Directions:

Sauté Portobello mushrooms in olive oil. Beat feta cheese and cracked pepper into eggs; scramble. Brown tortilla in pan. Wrap scrambled eggs, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, and pine nuts into tortilla.

While preparing food, bitch and moan about how no person in their right mind wakes up at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday (after a wedding, at that); continue mumbling and grumbling that no taco stands are open that early (of course they’re not), that sometimes you just have to do it yourself if you want it done right. Upon completion, shut up and forget about the world of hangover hurt you’re about to enter as you enjoy ridiculous, unadulterated deliciousness. And then go back to sleep.

UPDATE: We made a return visit today.  the tortillas are amazing…worth the price of admission alone.  Also, get the mango/cucumber pico at all costs…really refreshing and tasty.  I recommend the pork and fajita beef tacos.  Would NOT recommend the fish- low quality me thinks. And the Dublin sodas seal the deal – Cabo Bob’s is a winner.   –Cabeza

Cabo Bob’s just opened in Austin.. its locally owned and this is the first location.. Its laid out kinda like a Chipotle or a Freebirds! where you build your own tacos,burritos, or bowls as you are sent through a cafeteria line.

The kicker that sets Cabo Bob’s apart from its competition is that they make their own tortillas right before your eyes.. there are four varieties- flour buttermilk, ancho chile, cheddar, and cilatro/tomatillo – and they are all tasty.. You can choose from 4 different meats – shredded pork, chicken , fajita beef, cripsy fried fish.. also mixed grilled veggies..

The fountain drink station also features old school Dublin Dr. Pepper and some other interesting soft drink varieties with real cane sugar (if you’re into that). Overall, it was a nice experience and I will return for sure..info after the jump

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we survived another suber bowel..the food helped, distracting me from the boring drivel of Coaches’ Challenges and Geico commercials that has become the NFL.

the Food: ..our buddy Catfish cooked up some killer mystery meat enchiladas, and jessica won honorable mention for her chili-cream cheese dip..

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9/11/2006: We live in a great dichotomy of pestulence and wealth..sickness and health…feast and famine..heaven and hell….(if you will). Thats kinda how I feel about hunting doves… sure its great to shoot a shotgun into the air and then have a bird fall outta the sky, but the why down the universal symbol of of peace..? why? for taco meat of course! If you dont know already, lemme tell you about dove meat.. you only get about 1/2 a taco’s worth of meat per bird, but it is tender dark meat, kinda like a hybrid between beef and chicken because its so damn dark..maybe a better comparison would be a kidney or something.. i dunno.. all i knows is that when prepared correctly, it makes badass muthufuhggen taco! Read the rest of this entry »