Grilled Hamburger Taco Meat

I love to find uses for leftovers, as I hate to waste food.  At the same barbecue I mentioned in the last post, we also had leftover hamburgers that took a little more creativity for me to repurpose.  I had a bunch of teenagers coming over as Antonie graduated from high school and here in Denmark the kids ride around on open buses visiting all the houses to eat and drink to celebrate.  I was preparing food for 25 kids and decided to make make your own nachos. I spread out the tortilla chips, sprinkled them with cheese and put them in the oven right before the kids got here. I served them with salsa, fresh tomatoes, cubed avocado and hamburger taco filling that I made from the leftover hamburgers.  The kids piled everything on their chips and they loved it. I discovered that making taco filling from previously grilled burgers gave it a delightfully smoky taste that I like even better than using fresh hamburger!  So, next time we do burgers on the grill, I am going to through some extras on to make this taco filling again.  There is no doubt that this will become a family favorite!

Grilled Hamburger Taco Meat

1 pound leftover hamburger patties (in this case 3 large or 4 small patties already grilled) cut into small pieces

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small onion chopped fine

1 small garlic clove minced

2 Tablespoon Chili Powder

¼ teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano

2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon of Smoked Paprika

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Optional: ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1 cup diluted beef broth (can also use chicken)

1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water

Put the vegetable oil in a skillet with high sides on medium heat.  Cook until wilted.  Then add in the hamburger pieces, spices and broth.  Cook until the meat has become soft. Then add in the cornstarch and cook until thickened. Use for tacos, nachos or taco salad.

Five Element Analysis

Ground Beef belongs to the Earth Element and all the spices contribute Metal Element.  The Fire Element is represented with the tomatoes served cut up or in salsa and the fresh and dried chilis.  Avocados represent both the Water and Wood Elements and the Lime Juice in the salsa adds a bit more Wood.  Only Water needs some support, so be sure to serve these tacos with another Watery food like a flan as the eggs will contribute that element for balance.