"Everyone loves tacos, but these are my absolute favorite. Beware, you might smoke out the kitchen with the high heat and marinade on these guys! But it will be well worth it in the end. The key to this recipe is the salsas (yes, two salsas: tomato and tomatillo) and the marinade. Both salsas require charring some ingredients to release the flavor before blending them. I also include chicken bouillon in the green salsa to add depth of flavor. In the marinade, I always use orange juice for a little added sugar to caramelize the outside of the meat. These steps are critical for making good tacos taste great." -- Maria
1½ pounds flank steak, cut against the grain into ¼- to ½-inch strips
10 serrano peppers
4 tomatoes
3 white onions, peeled
5 tomatillos, husked
2 bunches cilantro
10 jalapeño peppers
To serve
12 corn tortillas
Crumbled cotija cheese
Chopped white onion
Fresh cilantro leaves
Sour cream
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix half of the lime juice, the orange juice, and soy sauce together. Crush 3 garlic cloves and add them to the marinade. Add the beef, toss to coat, and let it sit for 20 minutes.
While the beef is marinating, make the salsas. Preheat the broiler and line a cast iron skillet with aluminum foil.
Working in batches, put the serranos, tomatoes, onions, and tomatillos in the prepared skillet and broil until they are blackened in spots, watching carefully and turning occasionally to char all sides.
For the tomato salsa, transfer the tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 bunch cilantro, 5 garlic cloves, the jalapeños, and the remaining lime juice to a blender. Puree until the mixture is slightly chunky. Transfer to a bowl and set aside or chill until ready to serve.
For the tomatillo salsa, combine the tomatillos, serranos, remaining 1 bunch cilantro, remaining 2 onions, and remaining garlic cloves in the blender (no need to wash the blender between salsas). Puree until the mixture is slightly chunky. Transfer to a bowl and set aside or chill until ready to use.
Grease a grill pan and heat over high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade and grill for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
In a large cast iron skillet, toast the tortillas over medium-high heat until lightly charred, flipping once, 1–2 minutes on each side.
To serve, fill the tortillas with beef and top with cheese. Garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, sour cream, and salsas.
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