There are varying degrees of taco-goodness. Tacos made with Taco Bell taco seasoning are fantastic, for heaven’s sake. These Steak Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa are nigh unto perfection. This high praise is mostly thanks to the amazing salsa, which is sweet and tart, spicy and fresh, just as a salsa verde should be. Toasting or charring the tomatillos makes all the difference, releasing their depth of sweet flavor:
We’re telling you. This salsa is fantastic.
As if this vibrant salsa isn’t enough flavor, you’ll marinate your skirt steak for a couple hours in a delightful mixture of toasted cumin seeds (THE most agreeable thing in the world), toasted garlic and serranos, lime juice, and a little brown sugar.
The lime juice and brown sugar in the marinade will have broken down the skirt steak a bit, resulting in a dreamy, spicy, thinly-sliced base for your award-winning tacos. We find our skirt steak at Walmart. Grab the thinnest piece(s) available (no one wants to chew on thick chunks of steak in their taco).
If you haven’t enjoyed fresh radish on your tacos before, we think you’ll find them to be a welcome addition to your topping repertoire. Be sure and slice them very thinly – we suggest using a mandolin.
Add some crumbled Cotija cheese and you’re in for an authentic, south-of-the-border treat.
You’ll probably have some salsa leftover (thank heaven), so you may want to have some tortilla chips handy.
From: Steak Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 serrano chile peppers, halved (remove seeds for less heat)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the grill
- Juice of 4 limes (about ⅓ cup), divided
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 pounds skirt steak, cut in half
- ½ small white onion, diced
- 3 tomatillos (in their husks)
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro
- 16 corn tortillas
- Grated Cotija cheese and/or thinly sliced radishes, for topping
- *NOTE: This recipe requires 1-4 hours marinating time.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl. Add the garlic and chiles to the skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add the cumin seeds, vegetable oil, ¼ cup lime juice and the brown sugar and puree until smooth. Season with 1½ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the steak, shaking well to coat. Refrigerate, 1 to 4 hours.
- Soak the onion in a bowl of cold water. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat over high heat. Cook the tomatillos, turning, until well charred, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Remove the charred husks and roughly chop the flesh. Drain the onion. Wipe out the food processor; add the tomatillos, onion, cilantro and the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice and puree until smooth. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring the steak to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil the grill, then grill the steak until charred on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until charred on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
