This winter, I found myself cooking up slow-cooked stews of various kinds including Boeuf Bourguignon (a classic French stew) and freezing them, so I could have a stock-pile of instantly-heatable dinners for myself when things got busy AND use to throw last-minute dinner parties. When spring finally arrived, I found myself no longer hungry for the wintry stews still in my freezer. How could I transform them into something enticing for warm weather?

Soft tacos are pretty much the easiest way to transition rich meats into satisfying, casual, tropical-ish fare. So I tried it on the last batch of Boeuf Bourguignon I had on hand, applying my simple taco formula to this rich Burgundian stew. Voila! Boeuf Bourguignon Tacos, which I served to friends hanging out at the kitchen island, while I heated batches of tacos. They were, by all accounts, sublime.

The formula:

A stew of just about any kind or long-cooked meat, simmering in a pot on the stove, like Close-Roasted Pork with Ancho, Cinnamon and Cocoa or Seven Hour “Spoon” Lamb (Once the meats hot, shred any large chunks).

+ a cast iron griddle or frying pans heated to just the right temperature to heat bought corn tortillas

+ at the ready:

corn tortillas for heating and filling (they keep for weeks in the fridge)

+ garnishes and adornments: springs of cilantro, sour cream, sliced avocado, lime slices, chopped sweet onion (optional)

The method:

Once the stew is hot, heat the griddle. Throw on tortillas, flip when the begin to get spotty, then put them plates. Spoon a ribbon of the warmed stew down the center and let your guests top with their perfect combination of sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime…

Eat!

Then repeat!