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Chef Troy Gagliardo

"Chef Troy" Gagliardo hosts a weekly cooking segment called "Tuesdays with Troy" live every Tuesday on Fox News Rising from 7 to 9 am. He has made over 200 appearances on the show showcasing over 600 of his unique original recipes was voted one of the Top Five best chefs in Charlotte in 2013. Troy has penned a cookbook called Seasonal Comfort featuring some of his favorite comfort food recipes, and his business Motown Spice Provisions has supplied restaurants and country clubs in the greater Charlotte area for the past 10 years. He enjoys teaching readers and viewers alike how to build their "cooking confidence" through his recipes and simple technique. He is a self-taught chef who learned early on the important of family and food, and the connection between both, from his parents and grandparents. Contact him at cheftroy@windstream.net.

Now more than ever, chefs are developing recipes that cater to a wide variety of dietary needs. Gluten-free? Check. Vegan? Check. There’s another request that shouldn’t be overlooked: Garlic-free. Below, I’ve created a garlic-free version of a pork taco so flavorful you won’t miss it at all!

Chopped Sirloin/Pork Tacos with Homemade Corn Tortillas

Filling

• 1 Pound-Ground Sirloin
• 1 Pound Ground Pork
• 1 Each Beer

Seasoning

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Ancho Chili Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon Ground Chipotle Pepper or cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika or regular paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Teaspoons Dry Oregano
• 1 ½ Tablespoons Masa Harina

Place in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Tortillas (you will need a tortilla press to make)

• 2 Cups Masa Harina
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

Directions

• Place both meats in a pan over medium high heat and cook while breaking into small pieces.
• Once meat is cooked through, drain of grease by placing in a colander for at least 5 minutes.
• Wipe out any residual grease from the pan and add meat back into pan over medium heat.
• Add 2-3 Tablespoons of Taco seasoning to meat and mix well to combine.
• Add beer to pan, mix well, lower heat and cook until liquid and seasoning thicken, about 10-15 minutes.
• Keep meat warm while making tortillas.
• Warm an iron skillet over medium heat and line a plate with a clean kitchen towel.
• Mix masa harina with salt, slowly add the water until a soft/slightly sticky dough form.
• If dough seems to dry to pack add a little water at a time until it is soft and easy to form into a ball.
• Divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll into a ball.
• Place one ball of dough on a piece of plastic wrap and another on top.
• Gently press ball to slightly flatten and place in tortilla press.
• Fold over top part of press and use handle to compress the dough into a tortilla.
• Gently remove one side of plastic from raw tortilla while holding in one hand.
• Gently flip over to other hand, remove second piece of plastic and place directly into warm skillet.
• Cook until slightly charred on one side, about 45 seconds, flip and repeat.
• Place on towel, cover to keep warm while repeating with remaining dough.
• Assemble by placing some of the seasoned meat in a warm tortilla.
• Top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, jalapeno, sour cream or other condiments and serve.

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