Big Mac Tacos with Homemade Big Mac Sauce
Cook Notes
BBQ Used: Blackstone 28” Griddle
Cooking Method: Direct
Fuel used: Gas!
Cooking Temperature: Medium - High Heat
Key Accessories
Love it or hate it, The McDonalds Big Mac is an iconic burger and for years, their secret burger sauce has been something that many have tried to figure out. It’s true that in more recent years, we have been able to figure out what is in the sauce but there is more at play with the Big Mac that gives it the flavour we all know.
I believe it is down to textures in the burger too. The fine dice of the onion and the thinly shredded iceberg lettuce give the burger a little bit of freshness and the subtle flavours but you never get a big hit of raw onion or watery lettuce. The tang of the pickles adds another flavour while the Big Mac Sauce gives us instant recognition of what we are eating.
I tried to keep this in mind whilst putting my Big Mac Tacos together. This sauce isn’t the exact Big Mac Sauce as there are some ingredients that are really hard to get in Northern Ireland but substituting the Sweet Pickle Relish for some finely minced pickles, a dash of pickle juice and some sugar has made a sauce that is pretty, damn close to the original!
Method
We are making this one on the Blackstone 28” Griddle which is perfect for this style of Taco. Let’s get the sauce ready first. The only prep work you need to do for this is mince your pickles. You want the pieces as small as possible so it releases it’s flavour into the sauce. Remember we are adding pickles to the tacos later so there is no need to have large chunks in the sauce. Add all the other ingredients together and mix it thoroughly to dissolve the sugar then put the sauce into the fridge for at least an hour (longer if possible) before serving. The more time it has to sit and mingle, the better it will be.
Prepare your onion and lettuce before you move on to the cook as it goes fast and you won’t have time while the tacos are on. Mince your onion as fine as you possibly can and when you think it’s fine enough, run your knife through it one more time. You want the onion to be so fine that when we sprinkle it onto the hot tacos, the heat from them is enough to slightly soften them and take the rawness from them. The lettuce should also be very finely shredded. I usually take a few leaves of iceberg and roll them up into a long, sausage shape then take my time to cut it into thin strips.
When you are ready to cook, take your 4 mini tortillas and lay them out on your cutting board. Divide your steak mince into 4 equal portions and spread it over one side of the tortilla. Season the meat with salt and pepper then place them onto the griddle, meat side down. Give them a press with your spatula to ensure the meat makes full contact with the griddle. As some of the fat starts to cook out of the meat, your tortilla is there to soak up all that flavour.
They cook really fast so don’t leave them. After no more than a minute, they are ready to flip. As soon as you do, go on with a square of plastic burger cheese - No other cheese will do on this occasion. Close the lid for another 30-40 seconds then get them off and onto the cutting board. I wouldn’t attempt to dress these on the griddle or your tortilla will be overdone.
As soon as they come off, sprinkle your minced onion on top of the melted cheese. Remember we want these as hot as possible to slightly cook the onion. Next add the shredded lettuce then a few spoonful’s of your Big Mac Sauce. Lastly, top them off with a couple of pickles, fold them in half and eat!
