Teena Anderson from Anoka Meat & Sausage mixes things up by making tacos with a tri-tip steak.

Meat:

2-3 lb. Trimmed tri-tip at room temp (from Anoka Meat & Sausage)
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil for searing

Tacos:

25 (5-inch/taco-size) tortillas
1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
Mexican table cream
Your favorite salsa
Shredded cheese
Thinly sliced red onion
4 limes, cut into wedges
Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
̴̴optional: pickled or candied jalapenos.

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.

Mix the celery salt, onion powder, minced garlic, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Sprinkle the tri-tip with the rub, massaging the meat all over. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the meat, starting with the fat side down, for 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes per pound, or until a thermometer reaches 130 degrees f when inserted in the center (for medium-rare). I use a meat stick (wireless meat thermometer) to tell me when the inside temp reaches 130. Pull the skillet from the over. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain, then chop into small pieces.

You can warm up the tortillas in the cast iron pan if desired while the meat is resting.

To make each taco, place some lettuce on a tortilla, then add the meat, cheese, onions, salsa, and table cream. Serve with lime wedges & shredded cilantro.

Easy Rhubarb Gin, Infused with Strawberries

3 cups gin
2 cups rhubarb
¾ cup strawberries

Syrup:

¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
2 orange slices
5 cardamom pods (optional)

Steps:

1. Wash rhubarb and chop into ½” sections. Add to a large sterilized jar.
2. Chop strawberries in half and add to the jar.
3. Cover the fruit with gin then seal the jar.  Place in a dark location for two weeks.  Shake the jar every few days.
4. After two weeks, use a large soup bag to strain the ruit out of the alcohol.
5. Squeeze the bag to extract all of the alcohol from the fruit.
6. Serve the strained fruit for blending into mixed drinks.
7. Funnel the strained alcohol into another jar or bottle.

Syrup:

1. Add sugar, water cardamom, and orange slices to a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for two additional minutes.
3. Allow the syrup to cool off. Use a funnel to transfer the syrup into the rhubarb-infused gin.

Notes:

• If you don’t like gin or don’t have any at home, you can substitute vodka instead.
• Feel free to leave out the cardamom and orange slices. Although they are used to enhance the flavor, they are not essential to the recipe.
• Frozen strawberries work great in the recipe and save on prep time.
• Some recipes suggest steeping the rhubarb up to a month. I’ve had excellent results with just ten days. But prefer steeping it for two weeks, if possible.