Easy Grilled Steak Tacos (Tacos al Carbón)
By Lan LamPublished on April 29, 2019
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided¾ teaspoon ground cumin 1 (1½- to 1¾-pound) flank steak 2 jalapeño chiles 20 scallions 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning, plus lime wedgesFresh cilantro leaves Mexican crema
Before You Begin
This steak's grill flavor is created when some of the fat and juices land on the fire and create small, controlled flare-ups, so choose a steak that has some fat deposits. Sour cream can be substituted for the crema, if desired.
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon oil, chipotle, 1½ teaspoons salt, and cumin in bowl. Trim fat deposits on steak to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut steak lengthwise (with grain) into three 2- to 3-inch-wide strips. Rub chipotle mixture evenly into steak, then transfer steak to rimmed baking sheet.
- For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn off 1 burner (if using grill with more than 2 burners, turn off burner farthest from primary burner) and leave other burner(s) on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Arrange steak and jalapeños on hotter side of grill. Cook (covered if using gas), flipping steak and jalapeños every 2 minutes, until meat is well browned and registers 125 to 130 degrees (for medium-rare), 7 to 12 minutes, and jalapeños are blistered and charred in spots, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer steak to clean cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Transfer jalapeños to medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place scallions on hotter side of grill and cook until dark green parts are well charred on 1 side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip scallions, arranging them so that dark green parts are on cooler side of grill while white and light green parts are on hotter side. Continue to cook until whites are well charred, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with jalapeños and cover tightly with plastic. Arrange 6 tortillas on hotter side of grill and cook until lightly charred, 45 to 60 seconds per side. Wrap warmed tortillas tightly in foil. Repeat with remaining 6 tortillas.
- Without peeling, stem and seed jalapeños; reserve seeds. Chop jalapeños fine and transfer to bowl. Chop scallions coarse and transfer to bowl with jalapeños. Stir in lime juice, adobo sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Season with salt, extra lime juice, and reserved jalapeño seeds to taste. Slice steak thin against grain and transfer to serving platter. Serve steak in tortillas, passing salsa, lime wedges, cilantro, and crema separately.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (1½- to 1¾-pound) flank steak
2 jalapeño chiles
20 scallions
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning, plus lime wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves
Mexican crema
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (1½- to 1¾-pound) flank steak
2 jalapeño chiles
20 scallions
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning, plus lime wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves
Mexican crema
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (1½- to 1¾-pound) flank steak
2 jalapeño chiles
20 scallions
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning, plus lime wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves
Mexican crema
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We started by leaving some of the fat on a flank steak and slicing the steak lengthwise into three long strips. We then rubbed the steak with a flavorful paste made of minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce and ground cumin. On the grill, the fat from the steak melted and dripped onto the fire, vaporizing and creating smoky, meaty compounds that enveloped the steak with grill flavor. We grilled scallions and jalapeños in addition to the steak; once the vegetables were well charred, we chopped them and seasoned them with fresh lime juice and earthy adobo sauce to create a quick green salsa that complemented the grilled meat.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
This steak's grill flavor is created when some of the fat and juices land on the fire and create small, controlled flare-ups, so choose a steak that has some fat deposits. Sour cream can be substituted for the crema, if desired.
Instructions
- Combine 1 tablespoon oil, chipotle, 1½ teaspoons salt, and cumin in bowl. Trim fat deposits on steak to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut steak lengthwise (with grain) into three 2- to 3-inch-wide strips. Rub chipotle mixture evenly into steak, then transfer steak to rimmed baking sheet.
- For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn off 1 burner (if using grill with more than 2 burners, turn off burner farthest from primary burner) and leave other burner(s) on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Arrange steak and jalapeños on hotter side of grill. Cook (covered if using gas), flipping steak and jalapeños every 2 minutes, until meat is well browned and registers 125 to 130 degrees (for medium-rare), 7 to 12 minutes, and jalapeños are blistered and charred in spots, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer steak to clean cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Transfer jalapeños to medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place scallions on hotter side of grill and cook until dark green parts are well charred on 1 side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip scallions, arranging them so that dark green parts are on cooler side of grill while white and light green parts are on hotter side. Continue to cook until whites are well charred, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with jalapeños and cover tightly with plastic. Arrange 6 tortillas on hotter side of grill and cook until lightly charred, 45 to 60 seconds per side. Wrap warmed tortillas tightly in foil. Repeat with remaining 6 tortillas.
- Without peeling, stem and seed jalapeños; reserve seeds. Chop jalapeños fine and transfer to bowl. Chop scallions coarse and transfer to bowl with jalapeños. Stir in lime juice, adobo sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Season with salt, extra lime juice, and reserved jalapeño seeds to taste. Slice steak thin against grain and transfer to serving platter. Serve steak in tortillas, passing salsa, lime wedges, cilantro, and crema separately.
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