Deer and Cheese Taquitos

Usually made with shredded meat, we had a few reservations about this recipe. But to our pleasant surprise, ground venison works quite well with taquitos. If you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner, or any dinner really, our Deer and Cheese Taquitos are simple to make. You don't have to wait long hours to roast any meat. 

And instead of filling our taquitos with just meat, we added our very own twist. Rolling shredded Mexican cheese inside will make your taquitos taste extra delicious, while seasoning freshly fried shells with smoky Paprika, garlic powder and salt gives an extra kick. Our Waka-Guacamole, Mexican Rice and Mexican Refried Beans are musts with this recipe. Like Rick said, "Guacomole and taquitos were made for each other!" And of course, don't forget the ice cold cerveza (beer). This week, we tried an inexpensive Salvadoran beer called Cerveza Caguama. For only 2 bucks, the 32 oz. bottle made us both happy beyond happy. I know Rick certainly was! ;-)

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4, about 12 taquitos

Ingredients:

- vegetable oil

- 1/2 lb. ground venison

- 1/4 cup of onion, chopped

- 1/2 tsp. cumin

- 1/2 tsp. chili powder

- 1/2 tsp. coriander

- sea/Kosher salt, to taste

- about 12 corn tortillas, give or take

- toothpicks

Shell Seasoning:

- Hungarian Paprika, or regular sweet paprika

- garlic powder

- table salt

Waka-Guacamole: click here for recipe.

Mexican Rice: click here for recipe.

Mexican Refried Beans: click here for recipe.

Venison... so pretty... 

1. Heat 1 tbs. of oil over medium heat. Cook onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often.

Then add 1/2 tsp. of cumin, 1/2 tsp. coriander and 1/2 tsp. of chili powder. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. 

2. Stir in ground venison, and cook over medium-high heat until brown, stirring occasionally. 

With a spoon, try to break up the ground venison as much as you can.

Like so. Cook until most of the juices evaporate. Add sea/Kosher salt to taste.

3. Over low heat, heat 1 corn tortilla in a dry, clean pan. This will soften the tortilla to make it easier to work with. 

Working quickly, so the tortilla doesn't cool and harden again, fill the tortilla with cooked venison mixture and shredded Mexican style cheese. Do not overfill. 

Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can around the filling. With a toothpick, needle through overlapping layers of tortilla. This will help the taquitos hold together when frying. 

Repeat with the rest of the filling.

Ignore the burrito. Rick decided to experiment. :-)

4. Heat about 1/2 - 3/4 inches of vegetable oil in a large pan. When the oil reaches about 350-375 degrees, gently place taquitos into the oil. You don't want any filling to fall out. 

Fry for about 30 seconds on each side, or until golden and crispy. 

Do this in batches. Cook in one layer and do not overcrowd pan. 

When done, remove taquitos from oil. Tilt taquitos to drain any excess oil inside and then drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle table salt, paprika and garlic powder to taste all over hot taquitos. 

Here's a non sequitur, but Rick brought home some interesting Mexican sweets...

Back to business! Serve Deer and Cheese Taquitos with Mexican pickles, cold beer and Waka-Guacamole.

Please enjoy, everyone! As always, thank you for being so awesome. Happy hunting, cooking and eating!