Tyler Florence's Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

I'm a big fan of Tyler Florence and his Food Network TV show. Yes, he's easy on the eyes, certainly, and I could watch the show all day long. However, all the while, he cooks recipes that most of us mortal culinarians would enjoy cooking, can cook successfully and easily savor with our family and friends.

Tyler has a new book out called "Dinner at My Place." The preface talks about being able to go to all sorts of fancy restaurants all of the time, yet he always finds the most joy in being able to cook for his family and friends. Now that I have more time to experiment and read all of the myriad of cookbooks that grace my bookshelves, I find that I have this in common with him. And there's something infinitely comforting about sharing good food and wine with those that you love and whose company you enjoy.

The cookbook has great photos of the food, a prerequisite for me and cookbooks. I like to see the food preparation and presentation as the chefs have envisioned the recipe rather than leaving it to my imagination. Tyler has also personalized the cookbook in such a way that makes it very cook and reader-friendly. I think you will all enjoy it.

The first recipe that I tried from this cookbook was "Mexican Pot Roast Tacos." As Brad said, "It's a do-over!" The pot roast had excellent flavor and was extremely easy to prepare. I did find, however, that it needed to cook longer than the recipe indicated. I couldn't find the dried red chilies in my grocery store, so I added a small can of spicy Mexican tomato sauce.

This chapter in the cookbook also includes a recipe for "The Ultimate Guacamole," which I also made to accompany the tacos. He also has recipes for "Fresh Fried Corn Chips," "San Marzano Quick Salsa," "Roasted Tomatillo Salsa," and "Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Margarita," and I'll try those the next time I make this dinner.

Below are the taco and guacamole recipes. I prepared the tacos as "street tacos," with thin corn tortillas which I quick fried. I then assembled simple condiments -- diced onions, homemade salsa, guacamole and shredded pepper jack cheese. This allowed the meat to be center stage and made for a hearty meal. I set-up everything on a buffet and allowed everyone to help themselves! The only thing missing were the Margaritas and Beers. But hey, there's always next time! Feast and Enjoy!

MEXICAN POT ROAST TACOS

Serves 6-8

Active Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Pot Roast

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds shoulder of beef

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, cut into wedges

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes

3 dried red chilies

1 T ground cumin

1 T ancho chile powder

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (about 8 sprigs)

Water

2 T red wine vinegar

For serving:

8 fresh medium corn tortillas

3 c. freshly shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

1/3 lb. Cotija cheese, crumbled

2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

1. Drizzle beef shoulder with oil, then season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Set a large, heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear on all sides until you have a nice brown crust, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary to prevent sticking.

2. Add onion and garlic to the pot and stir until they carmelize a little and have contact with the bottom of the pot.

3. Add tomatoes with juice, chilies, cuming, chile powder,and the 1/2 bunch of cilantro. Add 2 inches water to the pot. Crush tomatoes wtih the back of a wooden spoon.

4. Cover and simmer about 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and comes apart with little resistance. Once cooked, use a wood spoon to break apart the meat. Season wth salt and black pepper to taste; add the vinegar.

THE ULTIMATE GUACAMOLE

6 ripe avocados

3 limes, juice only

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 serrano chilies,thinly sliced

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve and pit the avocados using a knife. With a tablespoon, scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add lime juice, onion, garlic, chilies, cilantro, and oil to the bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Use a potato masher to break up the avocados and mix everything together. Continue until juce combined so you still have plenty of texture. Give it a taste and season once more with salt and black pepper, if necessary.