5.02.2013

Skirt Steak Tacos With Mango Guacamole

Skirt steak tacos with mango guacamole

I'm back with another great Cinco de Mayo worthy dish: steak tacos with mango guacamole. The National Mango Board recently sent me a box of mangos, and while I ended up eating most of them just cut up and mixed with strawberries, I did use one in a flavorful guacamole, which I put on top of some tasty grilled steak tacos.


Diced mango

I wish I could say I grilled the steak outside in the sunshine, but we don't have a grill yet. We're settling into our house little by little, and a grill is high on the list, but just not in the budget right now. I did finally convince Jeff that we need a charcoal grill, so we know which one we want -- we just need to save up now. I found that my indoor grill (really, a panini press) worked just fine though.

Skirt steak tacos with mango guacamole

Skirt Steak Tacos With Mango Guacamole
(tacos and guacamole adapted from Food & Wine, May 2013)

Ingredients

Steak
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 medium serrano with seeds, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and pepper
2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed, cut crosswise into 4- to 5-inch pieces
Olive oil

Mango Guacamole (feel free to double this)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
Kosher salt
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 serrano chile, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 mango, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 avocado, diced

Corn tortillas, warmed just before serving
Pico de gallo (optional)
Cotija cheese, cut in small pieces (optional)

Preparation

Steak
In food processor puree cilantro, onion, serrano, garlic, lime juice,  extra-virgin olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and generous pinches of salt and pepper.

Transfer marinade to a large zipper-lock bag, add steak pieces, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

When ready to grill, heat indoor grill set up with grill plates on high. Let steak stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling.

Mango Guacamole
While steak stands at room temperature, in a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in half of the tomato, shallot, chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomato and shallot are softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape into large bowl and let cool completely.



Mix onion, serrano, lime juice, remaining tomato, mango, and cilantro together in bowl. Stir into cooled tomato-shallot mixture. Gently fold in avocado. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.



Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush grill with olive oil. Grill steak in batches until outside has nice grill marks and inside is medium-rare, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.


Transfer steak to carving board and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain.


Serve steak with warmed corn tortillas, mango guacamole, and, if desired, pico de gallo and cotija.


Note: If you're only serving two, like we were, you can marinate the steak for 3 hours, grill just half of it, and continue to marinate the rest overnight. Then you can grill the rest fresh for dinner the next night. I also suggest making a small batch of the guacamole fresh each night.

I highly recommend serving these summery tacos with some margaritas!

Skirt steak tacos with mango guacamole

What's your favorite taco topping? I definitely eat tacos mostly for the guacamole!