The Six O’Clock Show | Asian-Style Smash Pork Tacos

A quick midweek dinner, done properly — five-minute pork mince, big Asian flavours, and a few smart choices behind the scenes that make the difference.

Back in The Six O’Clock Show kitchen with a recipe built for speed but not short on flavour.

I went with five percent fat pork mince rather than the twelve to fifteen percent you’ll often find — you don’t need the extra fat, and the leaner mince is simply the better choice here. Into that goes dark soy sauce, which gives a lovely caramelisation around the edges as it cooks, teriyaki for sweetness and umami, and Chinese five spice for that real perfumed, aromatic quality. A little onion powder, then fresh grated ginger and garlic for brightness and freshness — powdered versions work too if that’s what you have. Even twenty minutes of marinating makes a visible difference to the colour and flavour of the meat; leave it overnight and it’s even better, as the meat absorbs more of it as it cooks.

The mince cooks in three to four minutes in a hot pan, then gets painted with a glaze of sweet chili, honey and a squeeze of fresh lime — sticky, sweet, and exactly what the dish needs.

For the build, I made a sour cream and coriander sauce blitzed up until beautifully creamy, along with a simple slaw of cucumber, carrot and radish — whatever you have at home works. Instead of a tortilla, I used Chinese leaf, which every supermarket has at the moment. Finished with a little kimchi relish, which brings sweetness but is also there because I’m always trying to work a bit of gut health into what I cook, then a chili peanut sauce for extra heat, and coriander on top.

It’s a genuinely quick, handy way to get a proper meal on the table midweek — and it works well beyond tacos too, since that same sauce is brilliant through a salad or in a sandwich.