Tex-Mex Tortilla Smash Burgers

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup Mexican crema
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Burgers

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80% meat, 20% fat)
• - kosher salt
• - ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 6 6-inch corn-flour blend or flour tortillas
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1. Prepare the sauce. In a small food processor, add the crema, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, and cumin. Blitz until smooth, then taste. Add salt, if needed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 5 days in an airtight container.
2. For the burgers, form 6 balls of beef equal in size.
3. On a cast-iron griddle on medium heat, sprinkle a few pinches of salt and some grinds of pepper all over. Add 6 equal piles of onion and jalapeño, leaving space for spreading. On each pile of veggies, add a ball of beef, a nice pinch of cheese and a tortilla.
4. Use your hand or a spatula to press the tortillas down on the ingredients, making sure to flatten the beef as much as possible so it reaches the edges of the tortilla. Cook without moving until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Flip and allow the tortilla to cook for about a minute to make slightly firm. Remove and fold into a taco. Top with the lettuce, tomatoes, and a drizzle of the sauce.

If Roma tomatoes are unavailable, plum tomatoes can be used.