Grilled Skirt Steak and Poblano Tacos
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 20, 2021
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 onions (3 sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds, 1 chopped)6 tablespoons lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving3 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons table salt, divided1½ pounds poblano chiles 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed½ teaspoon pepper 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Before You Begin
If you can't find skirt steak, substitute flank steak, although the meat will be a bit more chewy. Serve with chopped cilantro and Mexican Crema or sour cream.
Instructions
- Process chopped onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth. Brush onion rounds and poblanos with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pat steak dry and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 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. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) off.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place poblanos on hotter side of grill and onion rounds on cooler side of grill. Grill (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until poblanos are blistered and blackened and onions are softened and golden, 6 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions to platter and cover to keep warm. Transfer peppers to bowl, cover, and let steam while cooking steak and tortillas.
- Place steak on hotter side of grill. Grill (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until well browned on both sides and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer steak to 13 by 9-inch pan and poke all over with fork. Pour pureed onion mixture over top, cover, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and soft, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in aluminum foil to keep soft.
- Peel poblanos, then slice thin. Separate onions into rings and chop, then toss with poblanos. Remove steak from marinade, slice into 4- to 6-inch lengths, then slice thin against grain. Serve with warm tortillas, poblano-onion mixture, and lime wedges.
Yield
Serves 6Ingredients
4 onions (3 sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds, 1 chopped)
6 tablespoons lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1½ pounds poblano chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed
½ teaspoon pepper
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Ingredients
4 onions (3 sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds, 1 chopped)
6 tablespoons lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1½ pounds poblano chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed
½ teaspoon pepper
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Ingredients
4 onions (3 sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds, 1 chopped)
6 tablespoons lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1½ pounds poblano chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed
½ teaspoon pepper
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a version of these tacos that could be made on a home grill. First, we tackled the chiles. When roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips, poblano chiles are called rajas, and they're used not only in tacos but also on tostadas or grilled seafood. We grilled the poblanos over a very hot fire; this left the skins charred and blistered while the flesh remained relatively unscathed. Putting the peppers in a covered bowl when they came off the grill made the bitter skins easy to peel off later. The onions needed only a quick stint over the fire to develop good grill marks. We found that marinating our skirt steak was unnecessary; instead, while the cooked steak rested we covered it with a flavorful puree of onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and salt.
Before You Begin
If you can't find skirt steak, substitute flank steak, although the meat will be a bit more chewy. Serve with chopped cilantro and Mexican Crema or sour cream.
Instructions
- Process chopped onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth. Brush onion rounds and poblanos with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pat steak dry and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 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. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) off.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place poblanos on hotter side of grill and onion rounds on cooler side of grill. Grill (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until poblanos are blistered and blackened and onions are softened and golden, 6 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions to platter and cover to keep warm. Transfer peppers to bowl, cover, and let steam while cooking steak and tortillas.
- Place steak on hotter side of grill. Grill (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until well browned on both sides and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer steak to 13 by 9-inch pan and poke all over with fork. Pour pureed onion mixture over top, cover, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and soft, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in aluminum foil to keep soft.
- Peel poblanos, then slice thin. Separate onions into rings and chop, then toss with poblanos. Remove steak from marinade, slice into 4- to 6-inch lengths, then slice thin against grain. Serve with warm tortillas, poblano-onion mixture, and lime wedges.
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