If you haven’t made it to Taqueria Distrito Federal yet and are craving Mexican that isn’t covered in cheap sauce and cheese, you should do yourself a favor and devote a weekend to making the real deal at home. The beef taco commonly prepared in the American kitchen is one of the biggest culinary travesties DCist has encountered to date. Ground beef beaten to a pulp and over seasoned with a packet of salty herbs and spices. It’s enough to bring tears to our eyes; not in a good way either.

Braising beef low and slow in a spicy tomato mixture yields a filling that puts ground beef tacos to shame — and embraces a cooking style that welcomes the fall. Add a corn tortilla shell that will forever quell the crunchy/soft debate, some chunky guacamole, radish matchsticks and cilantro, and you will have one fine taco. Finally, an innovative pomegranate cocktail will have guests singing your praises, while they wipe taco remnants from their faces. Though somewhat time consuming, this recipe is simple, relatively fool proof, and perfect for a lazy Sunday football day.