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1. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan to a depth of about 4 inches and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 350 on a deep-frying thermometer.
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2. At the same time, preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Line a jelly-roll pan with a double thickness of paper towels and place it in the middle of the oven.
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3. Meanwhile, soften and warm the tortillas one at a time in an ungreased 10-inch skillet set over moderate heat. Turn the tortillas over and back with kitchen tongs for about 30 seconds, until they are soft but not browned. Stack them on a plate as you proceed.
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4. To shape and fry the tortillas to make taco shells, fold two tortillas around the outside of the holders of a taco fryer and set the holders into place in the fryer.
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5. Lower the holders into the hot oil by a wire and deep-fry the tortillas for 2minutes, or until they are brown and crisp. As they are fried, transfer thecompleted taco shells to the lined pan and keep them warm in the oven.
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6. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the lard over moderate heat. Add the beef and fry it for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently and mashing the meat with the back of a spoon to prevent lumps from forming.
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7. When no trace of pink remains, stir in ˝ cup of the onions and the salt. Remove the pan from the heat, add ˝ cup of the ancho sauce, and taste the beef mixture for seasoning.
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8. Spoon the beef filling into the taco shells, dividing it evenly among them. Then arrange the tacos attractively on a heated platter and serve at once, accompanied by the shredded lettuce and cheese and the remaining chopped onions and ancho sauce in four separate bowls. For spicier tacos, you may also serve red tomato taco sauce.
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NOTE: Lacking a taco fryer, pour vegetable oil into a heavy 10- to 12- inch skillet to a depth of about 1 inch and heat the oil until it is very hot but not smoking. To shape each taco shell, fold a tortilla in half and carefully place it in the hot oil. As it fries, hold the tortilla slightly open with kitchen tongs or two forks so that there is about ˝ inch of space between the halves. Fry the taco shell for 2 to 3 minutes, turning it over so that it is crisp and brown on both sides. As they brown, transfer the taco shells to the paper-lined pan and keep them warm in the oven while you fold and fry the rest.
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