Crock Pot Beef Tacos

I don't like to bang on about the weather. (That's your cue to stop reading now if you don't want to hear me bang on about the weather... just so you know.) But seriously, it's HOT! Record-breakingly HOT! I-wanna-cry-now HOT! Put-me-in-the-pool-and-make-me-a-mojito HOT! It's HOT!

We are experiencing a record-breaking (as I mentioned), 9th consecutive day of temperatures over 30 degrees C/86 degrees F. And I'm not talking just a teeeeny fraction over 30 degrees. No! Most of the time it's over 30 degrees by mid-morning and then climbs up to around 36 to 37 degrees C./ 96.8 to 98.6 degrees F. by early afternoon, only cooling down in the evening to around 24 degrees C./75.2 degrees F. when the sting of the sun is gone. I'm HOT! (And probably qualified to get a job as Chief Meteorologist at the B.O.M. after all that.)

Any Hooooo, over the past week or so I have barbecued and made salads out of anything that wasn't nailed down, trying to avoid turning on the stove or oven... my air-con is already panting. But, a week or so in to the heatwave, I was ready for a change. There are only a few things that make me lose my appetite and HOT! weather isn't one of them. So, spurred on by my stomach and my need for a Mexican food fix, I took my crock pot outside, plugged it in next to the well-used barbecue and at the end of the day had a delicious, slow cooked meal in the middle of a heatwave. Mexico is HOT!, right? They eat tacos in Mexico, right? So I'm not crazy, I'm just hungry... and HOT!


BTW: Did I mention it was HOT! ?

Crock Pot Beef Tacos
slightly adapted from Picky Palate
Serves 4-6

For the Beef:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 red capsicums, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
500g lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 x 400g canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup mild salsa
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped coriander, plus extra for garnish
spring onions, finely sliced for garnish

To Serve:
12 wholegrain flour tortillas
1 cup grated Colby cheese
avocado slices
pickled jalapenos
chopped coriander
Greek yoghurt
lime wedges

Heat a slow cooker on the low setting.

Place oil into a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook until browned. Transfer the mixture to the crock pot and stir in salsa and tomatoes, lime juice, cumin and coriander and stir to combine. Let cook on low for 2-3 hours or until ready to serve. Ladle into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander and spring onions.

Serve in heated tortillas and top with grated cheese, avocado slices, chopped coriander, pickled jalapenos, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a squeeze of lime juice.