That was the large taco. Had a larger shell. Like the macho taco at Del Taco. I believe.

Most likely the grease was from the meat. Unless the shells were freshly fried. We had to drain the meat so I imagine some didn't drain it all the way. There was always a little orange grease though. I remember the greasy wrappers also and the excellent taste.

Absolutely not. Taco Bell was my first job and I know how it was made and how it's made now. Two different companies really. The only thing that is the same or close is the mild sauce packet. Take the bean burrito for instance.

1. Beans now: Pinto Beans, Soy Oil (Trans Fat Free Shortening with TBHQ and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor), Salt. Comes pre packaged now. And why do you need to "Protect flavor"?

Beans back then: Pinto Beans, Lard. This was made fresh in the store. From dry beans.

2. Red Sauce. If you had the old it had a more pronounced flavor than it does now. It came in a can back then and was more of a flavor of enchilada sauce. Here are the ingredients now: Modified Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Salt, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Spices, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract (Contains Gluten), Extractives Of Paprika (Color), Xanthan Gum, Malic Acid, Caramel Color, Potassium Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Trehalose, Natural Flavors, And Less Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added As A Processing Aid.

3. Onions. Chopped fresh at location. Not sure how they do it now but I imagine pre bagged?

4. Cheese. Was cheddar that came in a block. We shredded it ourselves finely. Now it is large pieces that comes pre shredded in a bag.

5. Tortillas. They were different back then. But all tortillas I think were different back then. They were made with lard. Here are ONE of the possible ingredient lists you may get now: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine, Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Ground Corn treated with Lime, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: Corn Oil, Soybean Oil) with TBHQ and Citric Acid (to preserve freshness), contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Calcium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate (to preserve freshness), Furmaric Acid, Dough Conditioner. CONTAINS: WHEAT

Preserve freshness? If we didn't rotate them correctly they would go bad and we would toss them. They were kept in a water steam cabinet. Not sure now.

6. Assembly. This is stupid I know but the proper way to make the bean burrito was to leave one end open. I can't stand when both ends are closed. I think it's just to hide how crappy they are now.

I know this is an old thread but Taco Bell was my first job. I started out as the fryer.....in summer....Trust me ALL shells were fried on location. Even the nachos and cinnamon crispas (fried flour tortillas with cinnamon sugar).

We had a metal rack that you put the tortillas in to make the shape, then an insert that went on top. Fried in coconut oil (pretty sure about the type).

This was using yellow corn tortillas not white corn.

Try making refried beans from scratch with lard sometime. Nothing like that canned junk you get now.

One of these days I'm going to make their menu the way it was done before.

Tostadas are still there? Just had a couple the other day. Of course by the time I got home both slid to one side. I know it came that way when they bagged it. It just tasted plain and nothing special about it. Beans ruined it.

Don't forget the Bellbeefer. Bun, sauce, onions, ground beef and cheese. THAT was tasty.

The enchirito is still there but it's not the same. The original used corn tortillas they use flour now and had 3 olives on it. I don't like olives but would eat those.

So to make one you would do the following:

1. corn tortilla steamed
2. beans, meat and onions roll up
3. sauce
4. cheese and topped with 3 olives.

The current version doesn't taste anything like the original.

Funny I just made tacos last night. I found a couple packets of taco bell taco seasoning in my pantry so I thought I would try it. Now I'm assuming this is the same stuff they use in their meat factory now. It is NOT the same seasoning as back then. I opened up up and smelled it and tasted it. For one they used to use dried onions not onion powder. This stuff is so powdery like flour now. I remember the color being darker too. Really not much taste at all.

I bought some fresh flour tortillas for my son and he LOVED them. He said they don't compare to taco bell or the normal packaged ones you get in the store.

If people could actually TASTE quality I think their attitudes would change.

Agree with you 110%!

And THAT is why we are losing our food traditions in our country. We need to slow down and realize everything doesn't have to be pre-made, come in a box, have ingredients nobody knows what they are etc.

Look at the grocery store. Precut onions, vegetables, SALAD. That bagged salad used to be just the lettuce they couldn't sell, now look at your grocery store. How long does it take to cut an onion? People must be buying it or it wouldn't be there.

So if the generation now is used to eating cr@p that is all they know. We have all fallen into this trap. Ever taste a pie crust made with homemade or real lard? Flakey and tasty. Real BBQ cooked over wood for hours vs a McRib sandwich? I could go on for ever...

Sorry </RANT>

Yep saw that a while back and knew about it. They just don't get food made fresh is superior. But again they don't care about the food they just care about $$.

If someone started a similar chain and touted fresh made on site ingredients I bet TB would feel the squeeze and change their food.

I honestly don't think ANYTHING they make now is the same as before. Maybe the mild sauce in the packets.

I'll take a look next time I'm in the store. The reason why I said to constantly break it up was for the texture. When you mix it with water the ground beef will break up pretty easy then you just simmmer. Texture is part of the whole thing too. That is another reason their stuff isn't the same. If you ever had a burrito supreme back then try one now. Now you can make a bell beefer :)

Yeah I remember seeing that before. Didn't know you could still get it. Will have to keep an eye out for it. It's probably just Lawry's repackaged LOL.

I do have a bottle of some from Smart and Final. It's not bad but wouldn't buy it again. Have you tried Lawry's? I thought they were good but has been a while.

When making yourself use quality ingredients. I like Gepharts (sp?) chili powder. Too much cumin can ruin it though. Try toasting some cumin seeds then grind too. Try with the adding water part too. That gets the seasoning all over and into the meat. If you just sprinkle then brown it up you may get bits with no seasoning and others with too much.

Don't have a recipe I just wing it. Chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic, dried onion, salt or you can go by their ingredients now:

Cellulose, Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Salt, Oats (Contains Wheat), Maltodextrin (Corn, Potato, Tapioca), Soy Lecithin, Tomato Powder, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Gluten), Spices, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Potassium Chloride, Cocoa Powder Processed with Alkali, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Trehalose, Modified Corn Starch, Inactivated Yeast, Cultured Whey, Lactic Acid, Torula Yeast, Natural Smoke Flavor], Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Less Than 2% Beef Broth, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Lactate. CONTAINS: SOYBEANS, WHEAT, MILK

It was cooked until it was all browned. Then it was put into steam cabinets. The trick was breaking it up to a fine consistency. Not lumpy at all. I think we had a tub of seasoning and added a tub of water too. Don't remember the water for sure.

I honestly don't remember the seasoning being much different than what you can make yourself or get in the store. I really think it was a texture thing. Plus all the fresh vegetables, finely shredded cheese, fried shells that made it

The way I do it at home is I add water to the ground beef and add seasoning. Break up the ground beef real good then let simmer until reduced down.

You are a 110% correct! That is how it used to be done. I managed a location and can still remember how to do all that stuff to this day.

Yeah that's what I was expecting. It's a regular shell dusted with dorrito dust. I think if the shell was actually a dorrito it would taste better. But probably would crack too easy.

I used to work at a Taco Bell in the 80's as others have said we would get the ground beef raw in big packages. We had bags of seasoning (just seasoning no filler) that we mixed with a little bit of water and put in the ground beef in big cook pans. Now I believe they are precooked and come in bags and are just warmed up now. And why are their soy beans in "seasoned beef"? Filler.

Strike One.

Beans. They would come raw/dried in big bags. We would sort them put them in big pressure cookers and add LARD yes lard. That's how you make refried beans. They were good too. Now? Soy oil! And I bet they come in cans now. I actually had a bean burrito yesterday and opened it up. Tasted the beans by them self and no flavor.

Strike Two

Condiments. We would shred the cheese finely ourselves from big blocks of cheese fresh. Lettuce was shredded every day. Onions chopped every day. I bet all that stuff comes in bags already ready to go.

Strike Three!

All their items changed. Enchirito (flour instead of corn tortilla, no olives), Burrito supreme (not even sure what it is anymore), They don't use green onions at all. All their chips, shells etc used to be fried on location fresh every day. I could go on but you get the picture.

Del Taco comes close to how it tasted but they are doing the same things and I think they are declining too.

It changed so long ago most of you don't even know what it tasted like. Do you notice all the things they push have a bunch of ingredients? It's to hide the flavor or lack of flavor. I would rather pay extra for a local businesses.

And no Bellbeefer anymore? They are evil! LOL.

Drives me up the wall that they fold both ends now. Every burrito was always open at one end. I know picky but it does make a difference in taste and texture.

Nope California.

I totally agree with you and what you say is the truth. I managed a Taco Bell around the same time. Everything was made from scratch. I have been saying this for a while that it doesn't taste the same as it did. Now I know exactly why.

Any of you old Taco Bell people try Del Taco? To me their meat tastes a lot closer to what Taco Bell used to be.