Taqueria cafe’s have become very popular recently with their famous Street Tacos. There are a couple cafe’s in my area that have tacos for under $3 and I just can’t help craving these tasty tacos. They are usually made with soft corn tortillas filled with grilled steak with an array of toppings and salsa’s to choose from. Since I know a little about salsa’s and toppings I’ve been making my own tacos at home and they are equally addicting. First you need a good skirt steak seasoned with spices and lime juice grilled medium rare. The steak is so tender it almost melts in your mouth. The toppings can be anything you choose but I love the flavors of fresh grilled onions, chiles and corn with crumbled cotija cheese and verde salsa. Let the cravings begin!
I use a spice combination to season the steak which includes NM red chile, Ancho chile, Hatch NM chile flakes, paprika, coriander, garlic powder and salt.
I have a 2 pound skirt steak that is way too long to fit on my grill so I cut it into 2 pieces. I’m going to marinate the steak with the seasoning mix, cilantro and lime juice.
Generously sprinkle the seasoning and chopped cilantro over both sides of the steak.
Place the steak in a zip lock plastic bag and pour in the lime juice. Store in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 hours to marinate.
While the steak is marinating I’m going to roast my chiles. Anaheim and Fresno red chiles always go good together.
Roast them over an open flame of a gas grill turning often as they begin to char.
When they have charred on all sides, place them in a plastic bag to sweat it out for 20 minutes. Rinse under running water and the skin will virtually rub off.
Cut a whole onion into slices and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper and grill for several minutes on each side until onions are soft and translucent.
Almost ready, just a couple more minutes. They will begin to separate as they cook.
Soft corn tortillas make the best tacos. Just take a corn tortilla and drop it into a skillet (lightly drizzled with olive oil) over medium high heat. It should take only 30 seconds to a minute to start to sizzle.
Flip it over and cook the other side an additional 30 seconds.
Remove from the hot pan and pat dry with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Add a little olive oil to the pan each time you add the next tortilla. It will only take minutes to prepare a dozen or so tortillas.
Keep warm in a tortilla warmer or wrap in aluminum foil and place in a toaster oven under the warm setting. Warm tortillas make the best tacos!
Time to grill the steak. Drizzle with olive oil before placing it on a hot grill plate or over hot charcoals. Grill for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, 4 minutes for medium.
Flipping it over after 3 minutes, oh the aroma of lime and spices is intoxicating!
Let it rest for at about 5 minutes before slicing.
While the steak is resting I’m going to set out my toppings. The toppings of choice are grilled onions, freshly roasted Anaheim and Fresno red chiles, fresh roasted corn, avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, verde salsa and lime wedges.
I just love medium rare steak, it’s so tender. Slice the steak thin . . .
And for tacos, I slice smaller cuts of steak to fill the tortillas. Trust me, it’s easier to eat with smaller bites of steak.
Begin filling your soft corn tortillas. Start with the steak and go from there . . . Anything goes!
Carne Street Tacos
Seasoning Mix
1 tablespoon Paprika
2 teaspoons NM Red Chile, ground
2 teaspoons, Ancho Chile, ground
2 teaspoons Coriander
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Hatch Red Chile Flakes
1 1/2 pounds Skirt Steak
2 tablespoons Cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Olive Oil for drizzling (I used Persian Lime flavored olive oil from The Tasteful Olive)
2 Anaheim Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 Fresno Red Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large Onion, sliced
2 ears Corn, roasted and cut from cob
Cotija Cheese, crumbled
1 Avocado, diced
Cilantro, roughly chopped
Lime Wedges
Salsa Verde
12 – 18 Corn Tortillas
Trim excess fat from skirt steak. Combine spices for seasoning mix in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle seasoning over the steak and place in a zip lock bag. Pour in the juice of 1 lime and refrigerate 2 – 3 hours or more.
Roast the chiles on a gas grill over an open flame rotating to char over all sides. Place in a plastic bag to steam for 20 minutes. Peel the chiles under running water, stem, seed and chop.
Slice an onion and drizzle olive oil over each slice. Salt and pepper and place on a hot grill pan over a gas burner or hot coals. After 2 – 3 minutes turn onions as they begin to soften and become translucent. Set aside.
To prepare tortillas, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle olive oil in the pan and add a tortilla. When the tortilla begins to heat and sizzle (about a minute), turn over and cook an additional 30 seconds. Pat dry with a paper towel and place in a tortilla warmer or in some aluminum foil to keep warm. Add a drizzle of olive oil before adding each new tortilla to the pan. Continue until you have all the remaining tortillas heated.
Place the steak on a hot gas grill or charcoal. Grill 3 minutes on each side for medium rare or 4 minutes for medium. Let steak rest for about 5 minutes. Slice steak thin and then make smaller cuts to fill the tortillas.
Divide steak between the 12 tortillas and top with grilled onion, Anaheim and Fresno Red chiles, roasted corn, avocado, crumbled cotija cheese, cilantro and salsa verde. Serve with a lime wedge. Enjoy!
Makes 12 – 18 tacos
An Inspired Cook 