Intro
I’m not one to repeat recipes but when I do I take notes and then come right here to tell you about it. Because a recipe repeated is a special one in this house.
This summer has been one of meals so simple they leave more time for us to be outside, enjoying the sun and making sure our summer to-do list, which includes; clam digging, camping, reading Little House in The Big Woods, and cooking an entire meal with each of the kids, can have a big satisfying check by it.
While the cast iron pan pre-heats I think about complicating the steak but dusting it with cumin, maybe a bit of chile powder, garlic and such but my instinct tells me to stick with salt and pepper so that the flavor of the steak itself stands out. Like so many other times, I’m glad I go with my instincts. While the steak sears to form a thick, crisp crusty exterior I dice a pungent onion, sliver some radish on my mandolin and run a frilly bunch of cilantro under a running sink. As the steak rests I warm corn tortillas in the same pan as the steak cooked so they could soak up a bit of the meatiness still left in the warm pan.
Flank steak can be a bit tough but it makes up for it in flavor. To counteract the toughness, cut against the grain of the meat and cut the steak into small pieces between 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch. This way it will be easy to chew as it’s wrapped warmly in a tortilla.
Avocado makes a nice addition as would a garlic-laced cream sauce but on their own they show off their simplicity by being greater than the sum of their parts. Since it is grilling season or my personal favorite; cooking over the fire season, I’d suggest cooking the meat that way, if possible. Any way you cook it this meal will be one that gets made again and again.
Flank Steak Tacos
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb flank steak
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8-10 small corn tortillas
1/4 cup white onion, finely diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, roughly diced
1/4 cup cotija or other favorite cheese
lime wedges
Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper and allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Add the oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over high until smoking. Add steak and sear, untouched, for 5 minutes on either side for medium. Let rest 15 minutes before dicing into ¼ – ½ inch size pieces.
Warm corn tortillas in the same pan over low heat.
Top warmed tortillas with chopped steak, onions, cilantro, radish avocado and cheese. Serve with a wedge of lime.
Classic but so good every time. You’ve added every single thing I love in steak tacos except for some charred corn 🙂
Ohhhhh yes! Charred corn. So good.
Your idea of charred or grilled corn is a great idea. Unfortunately it can really only happen in the summer, at least where I live. Having been weaned many years ago on some of the best and freshest sweet corn which is grown every summer the stuff out of cans is essentially inedible to me. Sadly, it doesn’t grow in 25 degrees and snow. I don’t eat the stuff in cans from the store which in my opinion is equal to cow corn and definitely not pleasant or edible as is lovely freshly picked homegrown sweet corn. Until you can have corn growing in the garden and able to pick a few ears which are brought into the kitchen and placed in the kettle of already boiling water, a person doesn’t know what freshly picked corn taste like. I’ll take it over any gourmet food out there, definitely over caviar (which I think is too salty) or champagne (which is too dry for me). I’d make a lousy high society socialite wouldn’t I!. I personally still prefer Silver Queen but others argue with me. Its all a matter of personal taste. As corn season sadly ended not long ago I now have to wait until next summer. Of course we have frozen several hundred ears of corn (off the cob naturally), to last through winter, and thats not the best consistency for roasting any way. Its best either heated with some butter like any other vegetable or my favorite, baked corn or corn souffle. But next year late June or early July as soon as eastern shore corn comes in (its about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of us here in the more western part of the state I can add it to my tacos. Its a trade off, they may get watermelon and corn sooner but we have tbe incredible peaches and apples and all the rest of the orchard treasures.
this is just the perfect dish for summer.. i am so craving a flank steak taco right now, these look seriously too good. definitely a recipe to be saved, love it!
Thanks! I’m craving them now too.
An uncomplicated taco is worthy of praise. These look fabulous.
I couldn’t agree more. And the add-in options are endless – caramelized onions, pickled onions, pickled jalapenos, etc. Now I want more tacos.
Great summer recipe. one for the notebook
only you could made a big ol piece of raw meat look gorgeous. Sounds like a beautiful summer.
hahaha. It’s a little intense but I still liked it. Thank you. 😉
A perfect easy, yet flavorful summer dish. I love it.
Not sure if the recipe was a typo, but you listed skirt steak as the ingredient… I sometimes use it in place of flank steak, but then I cook it for a very short time.
Thanks so much. Fixed it now!
great!
Just wanting a little more…how do you make your refried beans to put alongside?
Oh, tacos. I’m pretty sure I could eat tacos every day and not get bored.
Doesn’t get much better than this. Love how you warmed the tortillas in the pan used for the meat. Great tip!!
Mmmm, meaty tortillas. 😉
I know one guy who would like these tacos. May have to cook him some flank steak in the old sous vide machine. 🙂
And can we just talk about that photo of the raw meat. Love everything about it. Sometimes the oddest things can make beautiful photographs.
Your photos are so gorgeous! These tacos would be an instant hit in this house, pinning!
So perfect for the summer. And what gorgeous photos!
The tacos sound just fantastic, thank you for sharing. I’m loving so many of these recipes.
I adore the Little House books! I read them regularly and will suddenly find myself in the kitchen shaking the crap out of a pint of 1/2 and 1/2 to make butter and yearning for a smokehouse. I make this sort of taco regularly and often quick pickle a radish, carrot, and jalepeno combo to top. Happy Summer!
Those look delicious and easy. I am a college student and every week my roommates and I take turns cooking for everyone once a week. I’m definitely going to make these next week when it’s my turn. I’m having a hard choosing a recipe though these all look incredible. However, I could eat tacos every day and never get sick of them. Thanks for the recipe!
Lovely recipe! I made these for dinner tonight and they were a big hit… nicely done. I cooked the onion (not a huge raw onion fan) in the same pan as the steak, delicious!