Tiny tacos

Cook diced onions and a pound of ground beef in olive oil over medium-high heat, seasoned with salt, chili powder, ground cumin, ground chipotle, garlic powder, black pepper, a pinch of dried oregano and a couple of shakes of cayenne.

Break and brown: brown the meat while breaking it into small pieces, the smaller the better for tiny tacos.

Add a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste and a splash of cold water, stir, and bring back to a simmer.

Reduce to medium-low and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has reduced.

Stir in freshly minced jalapeno and cook about a minute, only to take off the raw edge, so it keeps its colour and texture. Taste, then cool to room temperature.

Stack two or three regular corn tortillas and punch out rounds with a two inch pastry cutter. The scraps make chilaquiles.

Lay the rounds on a sheet pan and cheese them, using the cutter as a ring to keep the cheese on the tortilla.

Put cheese down first, then about a teaspoon of beef, then the rest of the cheese on top: melted cheese sticks to melted cheese, hot beef does not stick to hot beef, and that is what holds the taco closed.

Bake at 350F about three minutes, until the cheese melts and they can be folded in half.

Fold them, and if any spring open lay a second sheet pan of the same size on top, then chill about 20 minutes until firm.

Fry in a little oil over medium-high heat a couple of minutes per side, until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese edges caramelize. High enough heat crisps the outside before the filling leaks out.

Drain on paper towel and serve taco salad style on shredded lettuce with avocado, diced onion, salsa, a drizzle of sour cream, chopped cilantro and fresh lime.