INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound best-quality tender beef—tenderloin, ribeye, New York strip, sirloin
- 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 to 5 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
- 1/2 small red onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
- 1 ripe avocado, cut in half, pit removed, fleshed scooped from skin and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- Tortilla chips for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Chop the beef. Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper and spread out the meat in a single layer. Freeze until very firm, but not frozen all the way through, about 45 minutes. With a meat grinder fitted with the coarse blade or in batches in a food processor, chop the beef (I like pieces that are a little smaller than ¼ inch). Scoop into a bowl.
Finish the carne apache. In a blender or food processor, combine the lime juice and chiles. Process until smooth and stir into the beef. If you want the meat to be lime-cured (like ceviche), cover and refrigerate for an hour or so; for a traditional tartare texture, continue on. Scoop the onion into a strainer, rinse under cold water, shake to remove excess water, then add to the bowl, along with the tomato and cilantro. Gently fold in the avocado. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Serve piled on crispy tortilla chips, or molded on a plate or in a small bowl or glass with chips on the side. However you serve your carne apache, cilantro leaves make a nice garnish.
