Crispy Smash Tacos
The viral taco: seasoned ground beef smashed thin onto tortillas and seared meat-side down until crackling, then folded around cool, crunchy toppings.
Method
Slice the red onion as thinly as you can, toss with the lime juice and salt and leave for . When it turns pink and softens, your quick pickle is ready.
Add in this stepRed onion (thinly sliced) 40 gLime juice (for the onion) 2 tspSalt (for the onion) 1 pinch
Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, hot sauce and smoked paprika to make the sauce. Shred the lettuce finely, dice the tomato small and thinly slice the jalapeño.
Add in this stepSour cream 2 tbspMayonnaise 1 tbspHot sauce 1 tspSmoked paprika 1 pinch
Mix the ground beef with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt, and divide it into 3 balls per serving (about 33 g each). Put a ball on one side of a tortilla and spread it with the back of a wet spoon into an even 2 mm layer right to the edge.
Add in this stepGround beef (15–20% fat) 200 gChili powder 1 tspGround cumin ½ tspGarlic powder ½ tspSalt ½ tspFlour tortillas (15 cm) 6
Brush a wide pan lightly with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Lay the tortillas in meat side down, two at a time, press firmly with a spatula and cook for about 2 minutes. When the meat is deep brown, crisp and no pink remains, flip, scatter cheese over the meat and cook 30–60 seconds more until it melts. This amount takes 3 batches, in total.
Add in this stepCooking oil 1½ tspMonterey Jack or cheddar (grated) 60 g
medium-high heatFold in half, fill with lettuce, tomato, pickled onion and jalapeño, add plenty of sauce and eat while hot.
Add in this stepRomaine lettuce (finely shredded) 40 gTomato (finely diced) 60 gJalapeño (thinly sliced) ½
Cook's tip
Spreading the meat thin is what makes it cook through quickly and turn crisp. If the spoon sticks, wet it again or press through a sheet of baking paper. Ground pork or chicken work too, but always cook them all the way through.
Cooking it at camp
Season the beef at home and carry it in the cooler, then spread it on the tortillas at camp and cook on a cast-iron pan or griddle. Laying them straight on a grill grate tends to make the meat fall through, so use a pan.