Trevor Lui has made a life and career surrounded by the sights and sounds of food and drink. He has spent more than 20 years producing thousands of event experiences as an executive for major entertainment venues, top-tier hotels and casinos for the likes of heads of states and Hollywood starlets. A diverse builder of innovative implementation, brand marketing, operations and ground-zero build outs, he prefers a good, honest meal on a street corner to being tied down to a corporate boardroom. He’s a lover of ‘the story’ and inspired with each bite and sip around him and believes we are all connected through our dining experiences.

"Mexican food has always been a comfort meal for me, and this recipe is a fun way to enjoy those family taco nights, but in a different way. There’s something to be said about building and assembling your own dishes and seeing how they turn out compared to your dining mates’. Experimenting with changing up the protein flavours adds an extra layer of tasty adventure for the family."

Step 1

Place ground beef in marinating bowl, add all kung pao marinade ingredients, and mix thoroughly. For best results, cover and marinate overnight.
 

Step 2

In a small bowl, prepare the crema by folding sour cream with juice of half lime. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.
 

Step 3

In a small pot on high heat, add 2 . cups canola oil and fry tortillas until crisp and golden brown. Lay on lined pan to drain and salt. This step can be done in advance.

Step 4

Dice tomatoes, removing seeds and excess tomato liquid. Add onions and cilantro with tomatoes in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add oil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
 

Step 5

Peel and pit avocado, cutting into 12-16 thin, even slices.
 

Step 6

Heat saucepan to medium high. When heated, add 1 tsp canola oil to the pan, heat, and add marinated beef to the pan. Slowly cook for 8-9 minutes or until the ground beef is fully cooked and sauce is slightly reduced. Turn off heat and leave pan on residual heat.

Building the Tostada

Step 1

On fried tortilla, layer 3-4 slices of avocado. Next, add 2 fair-sized spoonfuls of kung pao beef and top with an even amount of shredded cheese. Add salsa, serving with a slotted spoon to reduce moisture, and garnish with cilantro sprigs.
 

Step 2

Drizzle tostadas with lime crema and serve with fresh lime wedge.