Kafta Tacos

Ground meat: kafta is usually beef, lamb, or a mix. Lamb gives you richer flavour, beef is leaner and milder. A blend of the two is my favourite. Around 15 to 20 percent fat keeps it juicy in the pan.

Onion: traditionally grated, not chopped, so it melts into the meat and keeps it moist. Squeeze out some of the liquid before mixing or the meat will steam instead of brown.

Spices: allspice and cinnamon are the backbone of kafta, with black pepper and sometimes a touch of nutmeg. Seven-spice (baharat) is a great shortcut if you have it.

Parsley: flat-leaf, chopped fine. It goes right into the meat mixture, not only on top, and brings a fresh, green note that balances the spice.

Tortillas: corn or flour both work. Warm them in a dry pan until soft and a little charred at the edges so they don't crack when you fold them.

Brown the meat properly. Let it sit undisturbed in a hot pan for a minute or two before you start breaking it up, so it gets colour instead of just going grey. Colour means flavour.

Squeeze the liquid out of the grated onion before adding it. Wet onion makes the meat steam, and you lose that browning you worked for.

Don't overcrowd the pan. If you double the batch, cook it in two goes. Too much meat at once drops the heat and steams everything.

Warm the tortillas right before serving, either over an open flame for a few seconds each side or in a dry pan until soft and spotty. Cold tortillas crack and go stiff.

Taste the meat before you build the tacos and adjust the salt and lemon. Spiced ground meat almost always wants a touch more salt than you think.

Cooked kafta meat keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. It actually tastes even better the next day once the spices settle.

Freeze the cooked meat for up to 3 months. Cool it fully first, then freeze flat in a bag so it thaws quickly. Reheat from frozen in a pan with a splash of water.

Reheat in a hot pan rather than the microwave so the meat re-crisps a little instead of going soft and watery.

Add a spoon of tomato paste and a pinch of chilli to the meat for a saucier, slightly spicier filling that clings to the tortilla.

Go fully fusion with a tahini-lime crema instead of the usual sour cream. Whisk tahini with lemon, garlic, and a little water until pourable.

Swap tortillas for crisp lettuce cups to make it low-carb. The cold crunch against the warm spiced meat is really good.

Top with quick pickled onions and a sumac sprinkle for tang and colour, which plays nicely with the warm kafta spices.