Eating tacos is the most fun way to eat. A basket perches on the table with a cloth inside, hiding slightly charred, hot corn tortillas, the instrument of choice for delving into the food.

Tacos in Mexico are small, soft, pliable discs that you either roll into a cigar to use in place of a fork or spoon, or which you stuff with myriad combinations of fillings and spicy salsas. Taco stands are at every street corner in Mexico City with scores of different fillings and are the archetypal fast food.

At home, you can take it more slowly and get as inventive as you like with the fillings. Try chargrilled prawns, pan-fried fish or chicken or thicker, more substantial, spicy stews, always ensuring that you have at least two salsas to spice up the dishes or cool them down, and a plate of ripe, sliced avocado.

A good taco feast is delicious served with small glasses of any good-quality, aged tequila and matching small glasses of sangrita. Sangrita is like our classic Virgin Mary mix with a dash of orange juice and grenadine, plus plenty of extra Tabasco. It is highly spiced and slightly sweet, which complements the tequila beautifully. The aim is to sip the tequila and sangrita as you while away time feasting, enjoying the flavours of the food and the lively conversation.

Corn tortillas are available from the Cool Chile Co or most large supermarkets. Do use flour if you can’t find corn.



Steak tacos

Marinating time: 30 min
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15-20 min

Skirt steak is a thin cut of meat with a pronounced, beefy flavour. It is exceptionally good value and is tender and delicious when sliced into thin slithers and flash fried. Order from the butcher or use the more expensive fillet in its place. It is best to cook this dish at the last minute as the strips are best eaten hot!

500g skirt steak
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1tsp cumin seeds, gently heated and ground
2 medium onions, sliced into 1cm slices
6 mini bell peppers

METHOD

Slice the skirt in half along the grain. Then slice into very thin slices, about a quarter of a centimetre wide, and season well with salt and pepper. In a food processor mince the shallot and garlic together with the lime juice and cumin seeds. Toss this mixture into the steak strips and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Any longer and the acid from the lime will begin to cook the steak, which you don’t want.

Chargrill the onion slices and peppers until the onion has turned translucent and both are slightly charred. Keep warm. When you are ready to eat, heat a chargrill or heavy frying pan until smoking hot. Wipe off the marinade from the steak strips and flash fry for 20-30 seconds a side, in batches, so as not to lower the heat of the pan. Turn out onto a warm plate with the onion and peppers and add to the feast on the table.

Thomasina Miers was the winner of Masterchef 2005 and is the joint editor of Soup Kitchen (Collins, £17.99)

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