Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 brown onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 160gm veal & pork mince
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 50 ml passata
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 truss cocktail tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 avocado, chopped
- 1 tbsp spanish onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp red capsicum, chopped
- 1 tbsp yellow capsicum, chopped
- 3 baby cos lettuce leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp salsa
- 4 soft mini tortillas
Method
- In a heavy bottomed frypan, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently stirring until starting to colour, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in spices and oregano, then add mince, stirring to mix thoroughly.
- While that’s cooking (stir occasionally), put tomato, avocado, spanish onion, capsicum, lettuce, and salsa in small individual bowls and place on serving table.
- Put tortillas on a small plate, folded, add to table.
- Stir tomato paste into mince, mix thoroughly, then add the passata, enough to stop it being dry but not so much that it becomes soupy.
- Tip mince mixture into a bowl and add to table.
- Use a small plate to fill each tortilla in turn with combination of all the ingredients. Eat immediately.
Serves one, makes four mini tortillas.
Notes
Ingredients can be amended to whatever you have on hand and like. Many people like to add coriander, although I’m not a fan. Fresh basil or oregano can give it an extra aroma.
“Soft tacos” is a bit of a tautology, as traditional Mexican tacos were all soft. But, since modern tacos seem to use a hard shell heated in the oven, I thought I’d be specific. You can, of course, use hard tacos, if you like.
If this recipe seems heavy on the cumin and the garlic, that’s because I like it that way. Adjust to suit your taste.
The photo shows a nice pale lager (Miller Lime, in this case), a shot glass of Mezcal, and small dish of limes. All of that is optional but adds to the Mexican feast feel.