Aunt Lavina's Take on Tacos
A Midnight Road Trip and a Crowded Kitchen
I was a little girl when my parents decided to take a spur of the moment vacation to Redding, California, and down to LA. My dad was a brick mason, and when one job finished he would look for the next one to start. He was well known at his trade and always in demand, and he eventually became the union president and business agent for the city of Tulsa. Before taking on his next big job, he decided he would go home, wake Mom up, and tell her to pack because we were going to California.
I remember his booming voice when he came home shortly before midnight, telling Mom to get up and pack because we were leaving now. My dad always made spontaneous decisions without a second thought to my mother's opinion. So, ever the dutiful wife, she packed our bags and made a pallet for me in the back seat, where the window meets the dash. You have to remember that was the ‘fun’ place for kids to ride back then — that way they could see the car that was about to rear-end you and hurl them into the air. No seat belts, no safety laws. But a blanket and a pillow and a bed with a view was the coveted place to ride.
My dad always drove straight through except for a nap at the roadside rest stops. I even remember him picking up several hitchhikers along the way, much to my mother's dissatisfaction. But we all lived.
My Aunt Lavina was married to a Mexican man, and he taught her the way around a Mexican kitchen. I'm so glad he did. She made tacos the night we arrived, and the kitchen was filled with wonderful aromas and the sound of laughter as the adults gathered around the table and played cards. That was the first time I ever remember eating a taco, but I knew it would not be the last.
I know this recipe will not sit well as an authentic dish, but it is one I feel you should at least try. My mom and dad took this version home, and this is how they forever made it.
Tacos and Mexican restaurants were rare in the 1960s in Oklahoma. I thought this was the best thing I had ever imagined. Then in the ’70s a few fast food chains and restaurants sprang up, but none was ever as good — until we moved to LA and began eating at all the mom and pop restaurants. That is where my love for Mexican dishes was truly cemented. But my start was in my Aunt Lavina's crowded kitchen, after a spontaneous road trip initiated by a father in the middle of the night.
Aunt Lavina's Tacos
Serves a crowd — plan for one taco per plate; they're enormous.
For the Filling
2 lb ground beef, browned with minced onion and your own taco seasoning blend (Aunt Lavina used her own; use yours)
3 (15 oz) cans pinto beans with jalapeño, simmered until thick
Once both are cooked, combine and pulse briefly in a blender until just blended — not smooth, just unified
For the Shells
12-inch flour tortillas
Lard, for shallow frying
For the Assembly Line
Sharp cheddar, grated
Lettuce, shredded
Tomato, chopped
Onion, diced
Sour cream
Homemade salsa
Avocado slices, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime
Method
Heat lard in a shallow pan and fry each flour tortilla just a few seconds per side — only until it bubbles up and forms nice brown bubbles. Stack the fried tortillas on a platter.
Form an assembly line. The first person spreads a generous portion of the meat and bean filling inside each shell.
The next person adds a generous handful of grated sharp cheddar over the warm filling.
The next adds shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and diced onion.
The last in line places the crowning touch: a dollop of sour cream and homemade salsa, two slices of avocado, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately — one taco covers the entire plate.
Leslie's Note: This is not an authentic taco by any stretch, and Aunt Lavina would have been the first to tell you so with a laugh. But it is the taco that taught me what a kitchen full of people who love each other sounds like — cards shuffling, laughter rising over the stove, and a platter passed hand to hand until something humble became a feast.