Beef Chili Street Tacos

Why should steak and chicken have all the fun? Beef chili BELONGS in a street taco! And that beef mixture... you will adore. It's hearty, herby, mildly spicy, jacked up with black beans, and the most perfect partner for little tortillas, sharp cheese and a bounty of toppings. Oh, and there's a secret ingredient in the chili too!

We LOVE chili in my house. So, naturally I make it all the time. But, I don't like serving things the same way twice, so THIS time, I said, "Hey boys, how about we turn that chili into street tacos?" There was a resounding "YES!", so I proceeded.

I pulled out our favorite taco fillings and started the "buffet" - I chose cilantro leaves, guacamole, green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese. I didn't have any sour cream, but I would have added that too (or Greek yogurt in a pinch). Dish up what you like in YOUR tacos when you serve this (while remembering this a great opportunity to clean out your produce drawers). Oh, salsa and hot sauce too - grab them if you have them.

And there's a secret ingredient in this chili - a parmesan rind! Starting today, don't ever throw away that phenomenal chunk of flavor you find in the rind of your parmesan wedge. I save the rinds in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 1 month (or the freezer for up to 3 months). Add the rind to your soups, stews and chilies and you'll never turn back. If you don't already have a parmesan rind, don't fret, just add about 2 tablespoons of shredded or grated parmesan cheese instead. And get a wedge of parmesan for the next time.

Does this work with turkey? Heck yeah! Swap ground turkey for the beef if desired.

Beef Chili Street Tacos

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce (from a carton or can)
1 cup canned seasoned black beans
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 parmesan rind (see note above)
12 soft taco-size flour tortillas, warmed according to package directions if desired
Suggested fillings/toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Cilantro leaves
Chopped green onions
Guacamole
Salsa
Hot sauce

Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat and return the beef to the pan. Add the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs and spices are fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, black beans, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and parmesan rind and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid reduces and the chili is thick.
Serve the chili in the tortillas with optional fillings/toppings.

Serves 4