Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a local nonprofit food rescue organization, will once again host its Ultimate Tailgate Party this weekend. Sunday night’s event will feature bites from some of Boston’s restaurants, including Toro, Myers + Chang and dozens of others. The evening will also include a few celebrity appearance, as “Bizarre Foods” Andrew Zimmern will speak at the Ultimate Tailgate Party, while Massachusetts’ own Sen. Elizabeth Warren will receive the Thomas M. Menino Award for Leadership. Ahead of Sunday’s bash, try this funky recipe for cumin beef Frito pie by Mei Mei’s Irene Li.
Lovin’ Spoonfuls Ultimate Tailgate Party 2018: Frito pie recipe
Ingredients:
-6-8 snack-size bags of Fritos
-1 Tbsp. canola oil
-1 lb. ground beef
-½ medium onion
-1 one-inch piece ginger, minced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp chili flakes, or toasted, diced chili of your choice
-1 ½ Tbsp. flour (or 1 tbsp. cornstarch if gluten free)
-⅓ cup Shaoxing wine
-⅓ cup water
-¼ cup soy sauce
-2 teaspoons fish sauce
-2 Tbsp. cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped
-1½ Tbsp. ground cumin
-1 Tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns, ground
-Any other veggies you like in your chilli (beans, carrots, etc)
-½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
-¼ cup sour cream
-⅛ cup red onion, minced (optional)
-8 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the beef and cook until browned (it doesn’t have to be fully cooked as it will simmer with the sauce later). Remove from heat and set aside in a medium bowl. If a lot of fat has accumulated, transfer to a heatproof container until only a light sheen is left in the pan.
Return heat to medium and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, and chilis in the pan until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add flour and stir to combine. Turn down heat to low-medium and add cooking wine, water, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan for a minute to deglaze, then return the beef to the pan and simmer until cooked through. Remove from heat. Add the cilantro, cumin and peppercorns and stir to combine, then taste for seasoning and spice level.
Spoon chili into opened bags of fritos. Top with anything you want.
