Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion over low heat until soft but not brown, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in the tomato purée, chilli powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, sugar and salt and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to high, add the beef and brown it. Pour in about 3 tbsp water; the pan should be hot enough for most of it to evaporate at once. Stir constantly for 5 to 10 minutes, adding a little more water if the meat sticks.
- Warm the taco shells in the hot oven for 5 minutes.
- Put the beef, taco shells, lettuce, Cheddar and tomato salsa on the table separately so everyone can fill their own shells.
Drink with it
Pale lager · excellent match
Mexican lager, ice-cold, ideally with a lime wedge
Cold and carbonation refresh the palate between the rich bites of beef and Cheddar, and the slim body lets the cumin and coriander stay in front.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?Dark beer · excellent match
Dark lager, Vienna style
The caramel note of the malt meets the roasted notes of the well-browned beef and the taco shell, and the low bitterness leaves the chilli powder alone.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecueTequila blanco · excellent match
Tequila Blanco with soda and lime over lots of ice (Ranch Water)
The peppery, green agave goes with cumin and coriander, and ice and soda keep the alcohol low.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changesRed wine · good match
Zinfandel or Garnacha, lightly chilled
Ripe dark fruit and low tannin stand up to tomato purée, paprika and ground beef; the heat is so mild that the alcohol is not a problem.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingWheat beer · good match
Witbier, well chilled
Coriander seed and orange peel in the beer pick up the ground coriander in the filling, and the carbonation cuts through the cheese.
Wheat Beer: Where Do Banana and Clove Come From?