Tacos, although of Mexican origin, have become one of the most common American family dinners today. The big ‘taco boom’ in our country began in the late 1940s and has since evolved. More and more households have embraced the culture behind authentic tacos, though a typical taco in our neck of the woods still includes a hard shell, ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.
Once you’ve had an asada or al pastor street taco in its true form, you will think a basic Americanized taco is a thing of the past. I’ve written up an elevated taco recipe that adds a bit of pizzaz to the authentic carne asada street taco. It absolutely will not disappoint. My chimichurri recipe includes the two common garnishes for an everyday antojito on the streets of Mexico City, and my skirt steak rub will make your guests coming back for seconds.
Skirt Steak Ingredients
1 ½-2 lbs trimmed skirt steak
2 limes (juiced, ¼ cup)
½ cup light tasting EVOO
2-3 tbsp fresh garlic (minced)
1 tsp onion powder
½ tbsp ground cumin
½ tbsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Pink Himalayan salt (to taste)
Chimichurri Ingredients
½ cup light tasting EVOO
2 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¾ cup Italian parsley (finely chopped)
3-4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
½-1 jalapeño (deseeded and finely minced)
2 shallots (finely minced)
¾ tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp pink Himalayan salt (or Merlot salt)
Black pepper (to taste)
½ tbsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup red bell pepper (finely minced)
Skirt Steak Directions
1) In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add the skirt steak and all the remaining ingredients. Seal bag, making sure to let all of the air out. Then rub the ingredients well into the skirt steak. Allow to marinate for 2-12 hours in the refrigerator.
2) Allow the skirt steak to reach room temperature before grilling. This should take 30 minutes.
3) Preheat grill to 450 degrees.
4) Cook the skirt steak over direct flame for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the meat has reached a temperature of 125-130 degrees.
5) Place the cooked meat on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Chimichurri Directions
1) Mix all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Taste test and doctor as needed.
2) Allow to chill before serving.
TACO TIPS
• When preparing the cooked steak for tacos, be sure to use your chef’s knife to cut against the grain.
• If you would like to elevate an already elevated taco, lightly smoke the garlic, red bell pepper, and shallots for the chimichurri before preparing. Just make sure the produce has cooled before chopping and mixing into the other ingredients.
• Before letting your coals or grill cool down, make sure to throw your tortillas on to heat them up!
• If you can’t find skirt steak, you can substitute it for flank or flap steak. After all, there’s only two skirt steaks per cow!
• Do not baste the steak with the marinade you used. Make sure to discard the marinade the moment you remove the steak from the bag.
Chelsea Gieselmann is a mom, photographer, columnist, food blogger, and home-cook. Cooking has been a passion of hers since she was old enough to cut out biscuits with the mouth of a mason jar. Her great-grandmother taught her the basics and she is ever so grateful to have been able to learn from her. Since then, she has honed in her craft a great deal and continues to.
