Smash Burger Tacos -- The Kind of Food That Brings Thirty-Two Farms to One Table

Elohi Foods held its annual gathering for producers in June — thirty-two farms now, spread across three counties — and Hannah and Denise organized it with the smooth efficiency they've developed over seven years of running this thing together. I went as a founder who mostly stays out of the way and ate the food and talked to producers and felt the pride of watching something survive long enough to become what it was supposed to be.

The gathering is a half-day meeting and then a shared meal, and this year the meal was enormous and varied — everyone brought something they'd made from their own production, and the table was a survey of what those thirty-two farms had been doing all spring. Dried bean salads and fresh preserves and smoked meats and baked goods made with the heritage grains that two farms have started growing. There was a fermented hot sauce from a young farmer named Marcus who'd graduated from our program two years ago and was now supplying six restaurants in Tulsa, and it was one of the best things I ate all year.

Marcus found me after the meal and we talked for an hour. He's twenty-four years old and running twelve acres and has already figured out the distribution problem that took me fifteen years to understand. He did it partly because Elohi Foods existed when he was starting out, which means the infrastructure was there, which means some of the hardest learning was already done for him. That's what institutions are for. You build them hard so the next person can start further forward.

Standing at that table in June, watching thirty-two farms’ worth of labor laid out in bowls and boards and jars, I kept thinking about the kind of food people actually make when they’re proud of what they’ve built — unpretentious, generous, built to feed a crowd. Marcus’s fermented hot sauce reminded me that the best food carries a personality behind it. These Smash Burger Tacos are that same kind of food: bold, a little unexpected, and exactly right for a table full of people who work hard and eat well.

Smash Burger Tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4 (2 tacos each)

Ingredients

• 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
• 8 small flour tortillas (6-inch)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 slices American cheese, halved
• 1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 1/4 cup diced dill pickles
• 1/4 cup burger sauce or thousand island dressing
• 1 tbsp neutral oil or butter for cooking

Instructions

1. Portion the beef. Divide the ground beef into 8 equal balls, roughly 2 oz each. Season lightly with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat the pan. Place a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat and add oil or butter. Heat until shimmering and just beginning to smoke.
3. Smash and sear. Lay a flour tortilla flat in the pan. Place one beef ball in the center of the tortilla and use a firm spatula or burger press to smash it flat directly onto the tortilla. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the edges are crispy and browned.
4. Add cheese. Flip the tortilla-and-patty together so the beef side faces up. Lay half a slice of American cheese on top. Cook 1 more minute until cheese melts and the tortilla is lightly crisped on the bottom.
5. Repeat. Work in batches with the remaining beef balls and tortillas, keeping finished tacos warm in a low oven (200°F) while you cook the rest.
6. Top and serve. Drizzle each taco with burger sauce, then top with shredded lettuce, diced onion, and pickles. Fold and serve immediately while the edges are still crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 720mg