Tart London founders Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison offer a recipe for perfect party tacos, ideal for a Mexican-themed gathering. This year's World Cup is co-hosted by Mexico, and England faces a tough match at the iconic Azteca Stadium. With kick-off at 1am on Monday morning, special licensing allows viewing at pubs, but hosting a Mexican-inspired feast with tacos, side dishes, and frozen blackberry Margaritas is an excellent alternative.
Why Tacos Are Perfect Party Fare
Tacos are delicious, colourful, easy to make, and fun to eat. This recipe uses seared fillet of beef as a birthday treat, but cheaper cuts like sirloin work too. Serve with grilled corn on the cob, guacamole, chipotle mayo, and mango salsa. Freshly made guacamole is superior to store-bought, and mango salsa takes seconds to prepare. Bowls of Little Gem lettuce leaves, jalapeños, sour cream, tortilla chips, and hot sauce complement the meal. Most ingredients are available at local grocers; if tomatillos are hard to find, substitute eight green or yellow tomatoes. Replace ancho chilli with five slices of jarred jalapeño if needed.
Ingredients for Tarty Party Tacos
Makes 8 tacos. Ingredients: 1 avocado, juice of 1 lime, salt and pepper, half a red cabbage (shredded), 1 Little Gem lettuce (shredded), a few radishes (finely sliced), 1 red chilli (finely sliced), 500g fillet of beef, olive oil, 8 tortillas (corn or wheat), coriander or micro coriander for decoration, tomato salsa (bought or homemade with tomatoes, red onion, coriander, salt, pepper), Mexican cheese (crumbled, or hard goat's cheese).
Mango Salsa Ingredients
1 mango (diced), juice of 1 lime, small bunch coriander (finely chopped), small bunch mint (finely chopped), 1 red chilli (deseeded and sliced).
Green Sauce Ingredients
1 tin tomatillos (approx 8), 1 large ancho chilli, 2 garlic cloves, 4 spring onions (roots and green leaves removed), juice and zest of 1 lime, small bunch coriander.
Method: Step-by-Step
First, prepare the mango salsa by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Next, make the green sauce by whizzing all ingredients together in a food processor with seasoning. Set both aside. To make the tacos, mash the avocado with lime juice and seasoning in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine cabbage, lettuce, radishes, and chilli. Heat a griddle pan on high heat until smoking. Season the beef with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then cook for about 2½ minutes per side for medium-rare. Prod with finger: soft means rare, bouncy means medium-rare. Rest for 3 minutes before finely slicing. While beef rests, heat tortillas in a hot pan or on top of an Aga until slightly toasted. Spread avocado mixture on tortillas, add salad and tomato salsa, then arrange beef slices. Finish with mango salsa, green sauce, crumbled cheese, and coriander.
Originally published in ES Magazine in 2016.
