Spring means one thing: Grilled Tacos
What's in the Fridge? Episode 4
Chirping birds, blooming flowers and mild weather ushered in this week, which meant one thing for ""What's in the Fridge?"": grillin' time. As per the suggestion of good friend, cameraman and video editor Eddy, I decided to prepare one of his family's favorite recipes: tacos de arrachera.
To begin this grilling adventure, add a bottle of Corona, the juice of one large lime, 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 tbsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Place the skirt steak inside and shake the bag to mix the ingredients and coat the meat. Make sure that all of the meat is immersed in the marinade and if it isn't, add more beer and lime. Depending on your preferences (i.e. love for beer), marinate the meat for 1-3 hours in the refrigerator.
Next, prepare the salsa that will accompany your meal. Halve six vine-ripened tomatoes and remove the seeds and inner flesh with a spoon (otherwise, your salsa will turn out too runny). Chop the tomatoes into small chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl. Chop 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro, 5-7 cloves of garlic, & 3 serrano peppers into fine pieces. Depending on how ripe your peppers are and how much heat you and your guests can handle, you might consider removing the seeds and white flesh from the peppers before you mix them into your salsa. Lastly, add the juice of one lime, and mix the salsa thoroughly. At this point, sample the salsa and adjust the flavors according to your preferences. If you prefer a smoother textured salsa, place half of the salsa into a blender and, using the pulse setting to avoid froth, blend the ingredients until all large tomato chunks disappear. Take the blended portion and mix it back with the other half of the salsa.
To prepare the banana peppers, take each pepper and slice down the middle lengthwise, making sure not to cut through to the other side. Just below the stem, make another small slit perpendicular to the first cut so that you can open the pepper a bit wider. Remove the white flesh and majority of the seeds from inside the pepper with a spoon. Stuff the pepper with a few slices of fresh mozzarella or queso fresco, and use toothpicks to hold the open side of the pepper shut.
Now that the peppers are stuffed and the meat has been marinating for 1-3 hours, you are ready to place them on the grill. Pre-heat the grill on medium high for 15 minutes. Cook the peppers for 10-15 minutes, turning them every 2-3 minutes for an even crisp. Grill the meat for 5-7 minutes on the first side, and then baste it with the remaining marinade. Grill the other side for another 3-5 minutes, and it should be ready to serve.
A few minutes before you plan to serve, mix three sliced, fresh jalapenos into two cans of refried beans, and heat over a medium high flame.
Arrange the steak, peppers, beans, and salsa atop a few of you favorite tortillas and garnish with lime slices and cilantro. Finish this fiery meal off with an ice-cold Corona or a glass of chilled sangria, and savor every last bite - for the inevitable heartburn anxiously awaits its time on the spotlight.
Arrachera (skirt steak):
3 lbs skirt steak
1 bottle Corona
1 lime
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp coarse salt
Grilled Peppers:
6 large banana peppers
1 lb fresh mozzarella or queso fresco
Refried Beans:
2 cans refried beans
3 fresh jalapenos
Homemade Salsa:
6 vine-ripened tomatoes
3 serrano peppers
5-7 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice of one lime
12 of your favorite tortillas
What's in the Fridge? Episode 4
