crispy pork chili verde street tacos WITH DIPPING SAUCES

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

2 teaspoons taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade (see page 20)

Kosher salt

4 ounces shredded cheddar, pepper Jack, or Monterey

Jack cheese (1 cup)

18 to 20 "taco-size" (4- to

4.5-inch) flour tortillas

Nonstick cooking spray

1 lime

¾ cup cream cheese, mayo, plain yogurt, sour cream, or

Mexican crema

1 ripe large avocado

⅓ cup salsa verde

Directions

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, chiles (drain them if they seem watery, but if there is just a small amount of thick liquid, pour it in), taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and the shredded cheese. Use your hands to mix well.

3. Scoop a big spoonful of the meat mixture (yes, the raw meat mixture, trust the process!) onto half of a tortilla. Fold it closed and give it a little press so it stays that way, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and meat mixture, dividing it evenly and spacing them apart on the pans. Spritz the assembled tacos with cooking spray.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tacos are golden brown and crispy on the outside and the meat reaches 160°F internally.

5. Meanwhile, halve the lime. Place the cream cheese in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime half. Taste and add more salt and/or lime if needed (it's probably needed). Halve the avocado and scoop the flesh into a separate small bowl. Mash the avocado until it's as smooth as possible, then season with a pinch of salt and stir in the salsa verde. Taste and add more salt as needed.

6. Serve the crispy tacos straight from the baking sheets with the dipping sauces for passing around

Notes

tip These smaller tortillas may say "street tacos" on the package.

swap Flour tortillas work best here because they're soft. If you must use corn tortillas, wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave in 20-second

increments until they're pliable. (Even if they break, they'll still taste good!) • If you can't find this small size, use 6-inch ones and make fewer. • Any ground meat will work, but if you're using beef, the less fatty the better-93/7 is ideal. They'll still be kinda greasy, but in a good way.

bulk it up tam a big advocate of taco night being all about the tacos. But if you want sides, serve with rice and Smoky Black Beans (page 74). • For the dressing, simply stir some salsa verde into the cream cheese + lime juice sauce here, adding more lime juice if necessary to thin it out.