Email to Cat      

Cool Ranch Taco Salad

Source of Recipe

From "Cravings: Hungry for More" by Chrissy Teigen


Recipe Introduction

"Have I ever told you about the time Taco Bell invited me to their headquarters for a Taco Bell Friendsgiving? I'd never seen anything like it. They had the head chef, who develops all their menu items (yes, he is a real chef, assholes), give all the Thanksgiving trimmings a Taco Bell spin. I laughed at how gross this sounded but...oh, how I was wrong. After the epic dinner, they showed us all the secret items they were testing and I was lucky enough to try, and fall in love with, the Doritos Locos Taco. I had dreams of finding out what the hell is in the seasoning for Cool Ranch Doritos, but even if I did find it, I can't do that to you. Forcing you to make Cool Ranch dust for this downhome, family-staple taco salad would be very Book 1. Book 2, post-Luna Chrissy says to buy a bag and crush them up. Who knows what laziness Book 3 Chrissy will come up with, at this baby-making rate."

List of Ingredients

For the dressing:
â—¦ â…” cup vegetable oil
â—¦ ¼ cup ketchup
â—¦ ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
â—¦ 1 tablespoon sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the beef mixture:
â—¦ 2 large ears corn, husked, or 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry
â—¦ 1 tablespoon canola oil
â—¦ 1 pound ground beef
â—¦ 1 tablespoon paprika
â—¦ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
â—¦ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
â—¦ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
â—¦ ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the salad:
â—¦ 1 large head iceberg lettuce, shredded
â—¦ 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into chunks
â—¦ 1 large avocado, cut into chunks
â—¦ ¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
â—¦ 2 cups Cool Ranch Doritos (or other tortilla chips if that's what you've got)
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped red onion
â—¦ ½ cup sour cream


Recipe

Make the dressing: In a screw-top jar, shake to mix the oil, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne.

Make the beef mixture: Heat a large dry skillet over high heat until really hot. Put the whole ears of corn in the pan and DFWI (Don't F*ck With It!!) until the underside is charred, about 3 minutes. Keep cooking, turning two more times, until the corn is charred in spots all over, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove to a plate. (If using thawed frozen kernels, char them in the dry skillet in a single layer, only stirring once or twice, until slightly blackened, about 6 minutes.)

Let the pan cool a bit. Add the oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering-hot. Add the meat, breaking it up, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.

Drain most of the liquid from the pan but leave enough to keep the meat juicy. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add the spice mixture to the meat along with the black beans and ½ cup water. Cook, stirring gently, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly, and stir in the cilantro.

Make the salad: Arrange the lettuce in a big salad bowl and top with the beef-bean mixture. Cut the corn from the cobs and add it to the salad with the tomatoes, avocado, and olives (if using). Pour the dressing over the salad and crumble the chips all over the top. Sprinkle with the onion and top with the sour cream.

Serves 6 as a main course
or 8 to 10 as an appetizer