✅ THE REAL RECIPE. This comes from the restaurant family itself. It's adapted from Matt Martinez Jr.'s cookbook Matt's Culinary Frontier, as published by KCRW Good Food.

Texas Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong once asked Matt's El Rancho for "something different." The kitchen hid taco meat under the queso and topped it with guacamole. He ate the whole bowl, told everyone at the Capitol, and "the Bob" became an Austin legend. The rule: build it in layers and never stir it together.

Serves 10–12 · Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Ingredients

Taco meat

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/2 bell pepper, diced

  • 1 jalapeño, diced

  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, pinch of cayenne

Queso

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 jalapeños, diced

  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1 pound American cheese, shredded

  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced

  • Salt to taste

Guacamole and serving

  • 2 ripe Hass avocados

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

  • Salt to taste

  • Tortilla chips (sour cream optional)

Method

  1. Meat: Soften the bell pepper, jalapeño and onion in the oil over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the beef and spices. Brown about 15 minutes, drain the fat, and season.

  2. Guacamole: Mash the avocados with the lime juice, cilantro and salt.

  3. Queso: Soften the jalapeños and onion in the oil, add the garlic, then stir in the cumin, pepper and cornstarch. Whisk in the broth and simmer until it thickens. Turn the heat to low and melt in the cheese a handful at a time. Stir in the tomatoes.

  4. Build it: Spread the taco meat in a serving dish, pour the hot queso over it, and top with the guacamole. Serve warm with chips.

Tip: Regulars say Matt's serves it without sour cream, so add it only if you like it.

Rather let Matt's make it?

📍 2613 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704

🍽️ Menu and hours: mattselrancho.com

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