Local Taco Pie is finally in rotation at our house. I began making it when I wanted to practice making Masa Harina Pie Crust, and I was thinking of some sort of a meat pie. The idea evolved into this recipe, using the flavors and topping of our (local) version of tacos. After all, it is Tuesday!
It is very good, and much lighter than you’d expect. Just enough cheese. Just a dollop of sour cream. Just a dab of avocado. Don’t forget the radishes – they add that just-right peppery crunch. And a Margarita – I really would have loved sipping a Margarita with this meal. Next time, for sure!
Local Taco Pie
Ingredients
Taco Pie
- 1 T olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 t garlic powder
- 1 t salt
- 1 t chili powder
- 1 t dried oregano
- 1 t cumin
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 T tomato paste
- 1 parbaked Masa Harina Pie Crust (see note)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup refried beans
- 1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa (see note)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar
Toppings
- chopped lettuce
- black olives
- scallions
- avocado
- sour cream
- radishes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and dice the onion – Preheat the oven to 400℉, convection bake setting. Finely dice the onion.
- Sauté the onion and beef – Heat the olive oil then add the onion. Sauté until soft, then add the beef and continue cooking until the beef is thoroughly browned.
- Finish the filling – Once the ground beef is cooked, add the spices, cornstarch and tomato paste to the pan. Stir to combine, and then add the water. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened.
- Assemble and bake – Spread the refried beans evenly across the bottom of the pie crust, then top with the beef mixture. Top that with salsa, and then cheese. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Prepare the taco toppings – While the Taco Pie is baking, chop the scallions, slice the olives, chop the lettuce, prep the avocado, and slice the radishes.
- Garnish and serve – If you're feeding a group, it would be nice to add the toppings to the pie, then cut and serve at the table. Or you could serve slices and pass the taco topping platter around so that your friends can customize their own.
Notes
Why “Local” Taco Pie, you might ask? I’m confused by the concept of cultural appropriation. Sure, I get it if someone is adopting the styles, food, or customs of a culture for the purpose of making a profit. That’s clearly exploitation. Cultural appropriation connotes exploitation. But taken literally, if I adopt the styles, food, or the food of a different culture, I’m “appropriating” it. And I don’t think of it as a negative thing – it’s a nod of appreciation. So I’ve called this “Local” Taco Pie to side-step that issue. I could have just called it Taco Pie. But that wouldn’t work either – I’m not very good at the technical aspect of writing these blog posts, and if the first word in the title of my post is less than five letters, the formatting goes awry on my Welcome Page. So there you have it – problem(s) solved.
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