Smoky Beef Mince Tacos with Corn Tortillas & Salsa

Ingredients

• 500 g beef mince
• 8 small corn tortillas, warmed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tomatoes, finely diced
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 long red chilli, finely diced
• 3 spring onions, green tops only, sliced
• 100 ml water
• 1 lime, juiced
• 15g fresh coriander, chopped
• 50 g cheddar, grated
• Soured cream, to serve
• shredded red cabbage slaw, to serve
• pickled jalapeños, to serve
• refried beans, to serve

Method

1. Make the salsa first so the flavours have time to mingle. Combine the diced tomatoes, red chilli, spring onion tops and coriander in a bowl, then add the lime juice and a good pinch of salt. Stir, taste, and set aside — the salt pulls the juice out of the tomatoes and builds the dressing for you.
2. Pat the beef mince dry with kitchen paper and season generously with salt and pepper before it hits the pan. Water means steam, and steam means no browning.
3. Heat the garlic-infused oil in a large stainless or cast-iron frying pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Brown the mince in two batches, pressing it into a single layer and leaving it alone for the first 2 minutes before breaking it up. All at once and the pan crowds, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of browning it. You want deep brown edges and crispy bits stuck to the base — that's the flavour.
4. Return all the mince to the pan, drop the heat to medium, and scatter in the smoked paprika, cumin and oregano. Bloom the spices for 30–60 seconds until fragrant — raw spices taste dusty; bloomed spices taste of themselves.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute until it darkens and smells sweet rather than tinny. Pour in the 100 ml water and scrape up every brown bit from the base of the pan — that fond is half the seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes until glossy and just-saucy. Taste, season, taste again. Adjust now — at the end, not at the table.
6. Meanwhile, warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan over a medium-high heat for 20–30 seconds a side, or char them directly over a gas flame until lightly blistered and smelling of popcorn. Stack and wrap in a clean tea towel as you go — they steam each other soft and pliable.
7. Shower the grated cheddar over the hot mince in the pan and let it sit for 30 seconds off the heat so it half-melts into the meat rather than sitting on top.
8. Pile the smoky beef into the warm tortillas, spoon over the bright salsa, and serve with the red cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños and refried beans alongside. Scatter extra coriander, add a final squeeze of lime over each taco, and bring the lime wedges to the table.