Fiesta Taco Tuesday

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Instead of frying shells in an inch of hot oil, we're baking them — same crunchy shape and crispy bite, with none of the hot-oil mess or splatter to deal with on a weeknight.
2. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil. Drape each one over two bars of the oven rack (or over scrunched foil balls on a baking sheet) so it holds a taco shape as it bakes. Bake 8–10 minutes, until golden and crisp.
3. While the shells bake, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat — this keeps the seasoning tasting bright instead of greasy.
4. Stir the La Jefa seasoning and cornstarch into the beef and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. The cornstarch helps the seasoning cling to the meat instead of sitting at the bottom of the pan, and lightly thickens the juices into a light sauce. Add a splash of water if it looks dry.
5. Stir in the black beans and keep the mixture warm over low heat while you finish everything else.
6. Make a quick lime crema by stirring the sour cream together with the lime zest and juice.
7. Fill each baked shell with the beef mixture. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheddar, and a drizzle of lime crema. Serve right away while the shells are still crisp.

Cooking Tip: Drain the fat from the beef before adding the seasoning. Cooking the La Jefa blend in leftover grease muddies the flavor — a quick drain first lets the smoky, bold seasoning actually come through.