Serves 4–6
This clever recipe uses a ready-made smoky chipotle sauce and results in an intense, complex flavour. As it's a midweek meal, I’m making full use of the ready-made accompaniments that are now in all the shops, but of course you can make your own if you prefer and if time is on your side.
Prep 15 MINS
cook 1 HR
FREEZER FRIENDLY
- 25g beef dripping
- 500g minced beef steak
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 250ml chipotle marinade (Irish made if possible)
- 500ml beef stock
- 1 shot of espresso (optional) 1 x 400g tin of black beans
- 1 x 170g packet of hard shell tacos
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
- shredded white cabbage
- ready-made soured cream and chive dip
- guacamole tomato salsa
- fresh coriander leaves
heat a casserole over a high heat. tip in the beef dripping and swirl it around to heat it up. Add the mince and sauté quickly until browned. Add the onions and garlic and continue to sauté for another 10 minutes, until the onions are well softened and beginning to caramelise.
Stir in the chipotle marinade and cook for 2–3 minutes, until sticky. Pour in the stock and espresso (if using). drain the black beans and add the juices from the tin, stirring to combine. Season generously with pepper and simmer vigorously for 20 minutes. Stir in the black beans and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the beef is tender and the liquid has completely reduced. this can be covered with cling film and kept in the fridge or is perfect for freezing.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°c (350°F/gas mark 4).
Place the tacos on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 2–3 minutes.
Fill the crispy tacos with the shredded cabbage, then add a spoonful of the chipotle beef and top with the soured cream and chive dip, guacamole and tomato salsa. Scatter over the coriander to serve.
Seared Steak Tacos
Serves 4
Serve these steak tacos on a large board in the centre of the table with plenty of accompaniments and allow everyone to dig in. If you do make it in advance just make sure that you allow the steaks to come back up to room temperature before cooking.
Prep 10 MINS + MARINATING
Cook 30 MINS
LOADS OF VEG
- juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges to garnish
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for cooking
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 x 225g sirloin steaks (dry-aged if possible)
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 1 red pepper, cut into 1cm slices
- 1 orange pepper, cut into 1cm slices 8–12 corn tortillas
- 1 romaine lettuce, shredded
- 2 ripe avocadoes, stoned, peeled and sliced
FOR THE CREMA AND SALSA
- finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime 200ml soured cream
- 1 x 200g jar of pickled jalapeños, drained
- 20g fresh coriander, leaves stripped and stalks chopped
- 200g mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, diced
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the lime juice in a shallow non-metallic dish and add the oil, cumin, smoked paprika and garlic. Add the steaks and turn to coat, then add the onion wedges and peppers, tossing to take up the rest of the marinade. cover with cling film and marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
to make the crema, put half of both the lime rind and juice in a nutriBullet or mini blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the soured cream, a couple slices of jalapeño peppers and the coriander stalks. Blitz to a purée, then transfer to a bowl and stir in the rest of the soured cream and season to taste. cover with cling film and chill for up to 24 hours in advance.
to make the salsa, finely chop a couple more jalapeño slices and mix with the tomatoes and the rest of the lime rind and juice. Season to taste. cover with cling film and chill for up to 24 hours in advance. tear in the coriander leaves just before serving.
heat a griddle pan over a high heat and warm the tortillas until lightly marked on one side only, then wrap them in a clean tea towel to keep warm.
Brush the griddle pan with a little oil and cook the steaks for 2–3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. transfer to a plate and loosely cover with tin foil. Leave to rest while you cook the vegetables.
toss the onions and peppers well in the remaining marinade, then chargrill in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side, piling them up on a serving platter or board as you go.
Add the bowls of crema, salsa and the rest of the jalapeños to the platter or board along with the lettuce and avocados. thinly slice the steaks and garnish with the lime wedges and reserved coriander leaves. unwrap the tortillas and serve everything family-style at the table.