Burned Scallion Crema Food

SLAB-BACON TACOS WITH BURNED-SCALLION CREMA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the chile powder, ground cumin, brown sugar and black pepper together in a large bowl, and then add the bacon slices, tossing to coat them with the spice mixture.
• Arrange the coated bacon slices on a sheet pan, ideally one fitted with a wire rack. Roast in the oven until they are caramelized and starting to crisp at the edges, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, chop the bacon into large dice and keep warm. Reserve the bacon fat for another use.
• While the bacon cooks, make the crema. Put the scallions and jalapeño in a large dry sauté pan and cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the scallions and jalapeño have blackened at the edges, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
• Put the scallions and jalapeño in the bowl of a food processor, and blitz them with the juice of 1 lime, then add the sour cream and mayonnaise, and blitz the mixture until it is smooth and flecked with blackened bits. Season to taste with the salt and, if you'd like the mixture thinner, the juice of the second lime. Scrape into a bowl, and reserve.
• To serve, warm the tortillas in the dry pan, one or two at a time, and reserve them in a tortilla warmer or clean dish towel. Fill them with the diced bacon and a slash of the crema, along with quartered limes and, if you like, salsa, cilantro, mint and hot sauce.

BURNED-SCALLION CREMA

Steps:

• Put the scallions and jalapeño in a large dry sauté pan and cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the scallions and jalapeño have blackened at the edges, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
• Put the scallions and jalapeño in the bowl of a food processor, and blitz them with the juice of 1 lime, then add the sour cream and mayonnaise, and blitz the mixture until it is smooth and flecked with blackened bits. Season to taste with the salt and, if you'd like the mixture thinner, the juice of the second lime. Scrape into a bowl, and reserve.

CHARRED SCALLION BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high until smoking hot. Add scallions and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly blackened, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; coarsely chop.
• Mix scallions, lime zest, and lime juice into butter in a medium bowl until evely blended; season with salt and pepper.
• Do Ahead
• Butter can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill.

CHARRED SCALLION CREMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place scallions on a quarter-sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Bake until charred and dehydrated, 20 to 30 minutes. (You can also grill the scallions, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, over medium-high heat until charred, 10 to 12 minutes.) Let cool completely.
• Place scallions in a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add sour cream, adobo, agave and salt and pulse until blended. Season to taste with additional salt.

CHARRED SCALLION DIP

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill grates.
• Set 2 scallions aside. Drizzle the remaining scallions on a plate with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the oiled scallions to the grill pan and cook until slightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside to cool completely, then finely chop. Thinly slice the whites and light greens of the remaining 2 scallions and set aside for garnish.
• Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire, garlic salt, onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the grilled scallions. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the fresh sliced scallions. Serve right away or chill.