Lime juice cooks the meet in this popular Mexican dish. If you have time, it’s worth frying your own crisp tortilla shells for this dish. Carne Apache makes a great lunch or snack, accompanied by nothing more than a cold beer.
| 1 | pound | ground chuck |
| 1/2+ | teaspoon | salt |
| 1 | cup | freshly squeezed lime juice* |
| 1 | recipe | Pico de Gallo |
| 8 | small corn tortillas, fried | |
| ~ | vegetable oil for frying | |
| 1 | avocado, chopped | |
| ~ | cilantro, chopped |
| *Approximately 6 limes.** Locate these smaller tortillas—or a bag of pre-made tostada rounds—in Mexican markets. |
1. Place the meat in a spacious glass bowl; add the salt and pour in the lime juice. Mix well and marinate for 10–12 hours or overnight. Stir twice during the marinating period. This cooks the meat.
2. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and work in the juices.
3. Stir in one cup of the pico de gallo and mix well.
4, Place a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to fry the tortillas. Heat to sizzling.
5. Add the tortillas and fry until golden. Remove from the oil and blot off any excess oil with a paper towel. Set aside.
6. Divide the mixture equally among the prepared tortillas. Top with the remaining pico de gallo , chopped avocado, and cilantro.
