Rajas tacos

Cook it at home: Rajas tacos with roasted poblanos and melted cheese

This is our home version of the Santa Barbara counter taco, not any restaurant's recipe. Char the poblanos well, peel them, and let them soften with onion before the cheese goes in. Warm tortillas are half the taco.

Pans and tools

• Gas burner or broiler
• Wide skillet with a lid
• Dry cast-iron pan or comal for tortillas

You’ll need

• 4 large poblano chiles
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano, Mexican if you have it
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) Mexican crema or sour cream
• 6 oz (170 g) Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, torn or grated
• 12 corn tortillas
• To serve: chopped cilantro, lime wedges, salsa

Steps

1. Char the poblanos over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning, until black all over, about 10 minutes.
2. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and let them steam for 10 minutes. Rub off the skins, pull out the stems and seeds, and cut the flesh into thin strips.
3. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the onion with the salt until soft and golden at the edges, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute. Stir in the chile strips and the crema and let it bubble gently for 2 minutes.
5. Scatter the cheese over the top, cover and take off the heat until it melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt.
6. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry hot skillet, about 30 seconds a side, and stack them in a towel.
7. Spoon the rajas into doubled tortillas and serve with cilantro, lime and salsa.

Contains: ['dairy'].

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