Soft Steak Tacos

Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe in a Cook's Country magazine.

1 flank steak (about 1  1/2 pounds), thinly sliced*
1 tbsp chili pwd
1  1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp salt
4 scallions, green parts cut into one-inch lengths, white parts cut in half lengthwise
1-2 jalapenos, minced
4 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Place steak in a large bowl and sprinkle evenly with chili pwd, cumin, coriander and salt. Add scallions and jalapenos and toss to combine. (Steak mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large skillet until just smoking. Add half of the steak mixture and cook, turning slices once, until just browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining steak mixture in the remaining 2 tsp oil. Put browned meat into a bowl.

Off heat, add tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and lime juice to skillet, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, use a slotted to transfer browned steak mixture to a wooden cutting board, leaving the juices in the bowl. Chop the meat into rough 1-inch pieces.

Add the reserved juices to the skillet and cook until reduced by half, 6-10 minutes over medium heat. Return steak to skillet and cook until meat is glazed and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Divide among warmed tortillas** and serve with shredded lettuce, minced jalapenos, and hot sauce or salsa.

*To slice the flank steak, first cut it in half lengthwise. Then working with one half at a time, slice the steak on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces. To make the slicing easier, place the steak in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.

**Warm up the tortillas by wrapping a stack of them in foil and heating in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. If you keep them wrapped in the foil after removing them from the oven, they will stay hot for 30 minutes.