Mexico (via NYC) - The "Beef Guaco Loco"

Throwback to my fun-filled NYC nights with friends, a few beers, and laughter, and a h/f to 'San Loco', a little taqueria in Manhattan's East Village.  The 'beef guaco loco' is something you've got to try - if nothing else but for the novelty of this taco.  Slightly crispy around the edges, delicately thin beef strips flash-sauteed at high temperature with julienned Hungarian paprika strips and onion strips, marinaded in garlic, soy, worchestershire sayce and smoked paprika powder - layered on top of creamy compote of black beans, spiked with a dash of home-made chipotle sauce (I will post another recipe on this later); with the crunch of the hard-shell taco sinking into the soft and cloudy guacamole filled soft shell taco to hold in all the goodness.  I'm in heaven!

Works well with a lightish beer and a good tequila to sip.

Most of these ingredients can be swapped out with whatever you want to make it vegan, vegetarian, whatever, so use your imagination and substitute where you know best.  I'm not qualified enough for these shenanigans! This recipe is for 3-4 people.

INGREDIENTS

For the beef:
100g of beef per person, as a heuristic.
1 handful of cilantro - chopped roughly (use half for the beef - stemmy part, and half - leafy part for the guac)
1 large onion - 3/4 chopped in slices (half-moons) for the beef; the rest 1/4 finely diced for the guacamole
2 large garlic cloves, slivered
1 tbsp Lawry's seasoned salt (or regular salt)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a Hungarian paprika (use bell-pepper if you want, but it's more watery) - finely julienned.

For the beans:
1 can refried beans (black / pinto - don't care)

For the guacamole:
2 ripe avocados - deseed and scoop out using a fork.
1/4 onion (from your beef prep step) - finely diced
1/2 handful of cilantro leaves (leafy part - from beef prep step)
1/2 lime - squeeze well into the guac
1 tsp salt (Lawry's if you have it, else regular)
1/2 birds eye chili pepper

For the assembly (from pantry or store):
1 packet soft shell tacos
1 packet hard shell tacos
Chipotle sauce

PREPARATION

The beef:
Cut the beef into thin strips against the grain ensuring a good absorption of the marinade.  Add the salt.  Put in the garlic, sliced onions, and paprika strips.  Add in the spices, then add in the sauce and finally the cilantro leaves and oil.  Mix it well by hand.  Wash your hands carefully after, letting the marinade sit while you make the other stuff.

The guacamole:
Add the onions to a bowl, add the cilantro leaves, chillies, and then the avocado bits.  Then squeeze in the lime and add the salt.  Mash it well with a fork and let it sit.

Final Assembly:
Start by putting a generous 'shmear' of a creamy-chunky guacamole (no tomatoes - just avocado, shallots, green chillies, Lawry's seasoned salt, freshly chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of lime) on a soft tortilla (home made is best - will be discussed in another recipe - but store-bought is fine too).  Then, here's where the plot takes a twist - put a warm (oven-warmed), hard taco shell in the middle! Add your refried black (or pinto) beans into the hard taco and layer in your beef onto them.  Throw in a little chipotle sauce for good measure, and then take a big bite through the hard shell and soft shell goodness together - it's fantastic!!