I recently acquired a couple cases of MREs from 2022, so I thought I'd post a few that I haven't seen on this site before, starting with Menu 6, Beef Taco Filling.
This pack comes with the beef taco filling, some Santa Fe style brown rice and beans, some whole wheat tortillas, cheese spread and some nut raisin mix for dessert. It also contains the accessory pack with the coffee, so that's a plus.
I declined to use the flameless ration heater, instead heating the beef, Santa Fe rice and the tortillas on top of my radiator space heater. While those heated, I stirred up the Bill's Brew in a mug of hot filtered water. As always, the MRE coffee is delicious, despite my adding a bit too much water. It's not overly bitter or bold, just a pleasant medium roast instant coffee.
I opened up the nut raisin mix and tried some before the entree, and found the peanuts, raisins and generic M&Ms to be fresh and tasty. The nuts were very lightly salted and well dried, the right amount of firmness and crack when bitten; the generic M&Ms weren't stale or bloomed, a perfectly adequate chocolate candy. I don't like any of the other types of nut in the mix, but my wife has no such reservations; she said it was a "really, REALLY good trail mix."
After a few minutes on the radiator, the entree packs were nice and hot. The tortillas smelled great warm out of the package. The tortillas unfolded nicely while they were warm, but quickly became rigid as it cooled. The tortillas tasted fine, a mild whole grain flavor, but the texture leaves a lot to be desired. Where you would want a tortilla to be airy or toasty, these are just kind of chewy, almost doughy. I want to try toasting these in a mess kit skillet next time I go camping and see if that helps.
Trying the Santa Fe rice and beans on its own: it's fantastic. Maybe a touch bland, but that salt packet from the accessory pack is the perfect amount to punch it up a little. The sweet cream and cheddar cheese sauce that envelopes everything is delicious, not overpoweringly cheesey, but a fitting flavor alongside all of the Tex-Mex spices in the dish. The multiple types of beans sort of blend together, taste wise; they're pretty much just beans. But the brown rice has a great grainy flavor that pairs with spices and the beans so well and really makes this a great entree all on its own. The last I'll say on the dish by itself is that the corn mixed in was perfectly cooked and were a great addition with a light, refreshing flavor.
The beef taco filling, on its own, is kind of boring. Honestly, it sort of tastes like Hormel Chili, but maybe not even as spiced. It's more than adequate as a battlefield ration, but it sure isn't anything to write home about. It's beef and soy "crumbles" in a tomato based sauce seasoned with typical taco seasonings. There's a bit too much sauce to be "taco filling", it's liquid enough to flow right out of your taco.
Where the magic really happens is when you put that Santa Fe rice and beans with the beef taco filling into one of those tortillas. I know it isn't radical news to suggest taco ingredients work better in the taco, but these ingredients really do need to be together to be enjoyable. The Santa Fe rice and beans can stand on its own, but the tortillas and the beef really need a hand. The tacos made from these components are messy and unwieldy, but they are pretty darn good. The beef goes really well with the rice and beans and the tortillas taste great with both of them. I opted not to use the cheese sauce, I tried a bite with it and found it better without. The tortillas did cool off and became rigid enough to split along the fold, which became messier, but that singular wetnap was enough to clean my hands off.
All in all, this was one of the better rations I've had. The beef and the rice and beans could be their own meals, but go very well together. The trail mix is a great snack or dessert and the coffee is always my favorite beverage. Menu 6, Beef Taco Filling gets high praise from me, overall.