Crispy Beef Flautas with Crema

Flautas — flutes — are the Tex-Mex answer to a late-night craving: corn tortillas tightly rolled around well-seasoned shredded beef and fried until golden and shattering-crispy. Drizzled with Mexican crema and piled with guacamole and salsa, they are the bar snack and party appetizer that disappears before they hit the table.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Shredded Beef Filling:

• 450g (1 lb) beef chuck roast
• 1 white onion, halved
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp (3g) cumin
• 1 tsp (3g) chili powder
• 1/2 tsp (1.5g) dried oregano
• 1 tsp (6g) salt
• 480ml (2 cups) beef broth or water

Flautas:

• 16 corn tortillas (15cm/6-inch)
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying (about 960ml/4 cups)
• Toothpicks or wooden skewers

To Serve:

• 120ml (1/2 cup) Mexican crema or sour cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa roja
• Shredded lettuce and thinly sliced radishes

Instructions

1. Cook the beef: combine chuck roast, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and broth in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 2-2.5 hours until the beef shreds easily. Alternatively, pressure-cook for 45 minutes. Remove beef and shred finely with two forks. Discard onion and garlic. Taste and season filling.
2. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame for 15-20 seconds per side until pliable but not browned. Keep wrapped in a damp cloth.
3. Lay a warm tortilla flat. Place 2 tbsp beef filling along one edge. Roll tightly into a thin cylinder — as tight as possible — and secure with a toothpick through the seam.
4. Heat oil in a deep, heavy skillet or saucepan to 185°C (365°F). Working in batches of 4-5, fry flautas seam-side down for 3-4 minutes, turning once or twice, until uniformly golden brown and very crispy.
5. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels, which steam the bottoms). Remove toothpicks.
6. Arrange on a platter. Drizzle with crema, add guacamole and salsa alongside, and scatter shredded lettuce and radishes over the top.

Cook's Notes: The toothpick is non-negotiable — it holds the flauta closed during frying. Removing it before serving is equally non-negotiable. Flautas are best eaten within 5 minutes of frying while maximum crispiness is preserved. For a shortcut, use a rotisserie chicken instead of braising beef; season with the same spices and proceed from step 2.