Costra Tacos (Crispy Cheese & Steak)

The Costra is a perfect weeknight meal or Taco Tuesday Candidate. Comes together in minutes, and can be done with any protein and toppings on hand.

Use a well-seasoned pan or good nonstick to melt the cheese.

Ingredients

Taco Components*

• Tortillas (preferably white corn)

• Melting cheese of choice, grated (like Quesadilla or Monterrey Jack)

• Thinly sliced steak (or protein of choice like ground beef, cubed chicken, or shredded braised meat)

• Adobo seasoning (or spice mix of choice)

• Toppings: Hot sauce of choice, pickled onions, and Mexican table crema

*Amounts depend on how many tacos you make, and how much you want to fill each taco. For standard corn tortillas, start with about 1/2 cup’s worth of grated cheese to make the melted cheese wrapper.

Instructions

Cook the protein: Season the steak slices, then sear it over high heat on a lightly oiled pan until browned and cooked through. As this cooks, feel free to move on to the following steps:

Start the cheese wrapper: Put a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a handful of cheese to the center of the pan and spread it out into a uniform circle (about the width of the tortilla you are using).

Let it cook undisturbed so that it melts into a circle and the bottom starts to brown. You should see the fat naturally separate from the cheese, which will help fry the cheese layer.

Warm the tortillas: As this cooks, warm up some tortillas.

Finish & serve: Once the edges of the cheese circle turn golden brown, add a serving of meat to the cheese in a line (imagine the melted cheese circle is a tortilla).

Gently use a spatula to fold the cheese over the meat, wrapping it like an enchilada. The cheese layer should be crisp on the outside but still soft enough to wrap and hold its shape around the meat.

Transfer the cheese-wrapped meat to a warm tortilla. Top with a drizzle of crema, hot sauce, and pickled onions. Enjoy warm.