Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Grilled Beef Tacos with Mango and Avocado Salsa

I have been out and about a lot this week. I actually left my house (and ate out) twice this week (I am generally quite the homebody).

Well, today I was home and ready to cook. This week in I CSA box I got a ton of items that just screamed salsa, so I decided to go Mexican.

I started with the salsa. Here’s the ingredients:

1 mango, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 jalapenos (there’s one in the pic, but I ended up using two)
1 lime, juiced
2 avocado, chopped
kosher salt to taste

Early in the afternoon I combined all the salsa ingredients except for the avocado so that the flavors could marry a bit (I didn’t want to add the avocado at this point because I was afraid the avocado would get brown). So, right before serving, I stirred in the avocado.

I decided to use a spice rub on the steak. Here’s the ingredients:

2 Tablespoon, chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 flat iron steak

I mixed together all of the rub ingredients, rubbed them over the steak, them let it sit in the fridge until I was ready to grill.

I would have liked to have use the charcoal grill for this but, alas, I am out of charcoal (I really need to put this on my shopping list) so I used the gas. I cooked it over high heat to rare, then let it rest for five minutes, then sliced it thin and squeezed a little lime on top.

While the steak was resting I put some corn tortillas on the grill to warm through.


To serve I put the sliced steak, delicious salsa and tortillas on/in separate plates and bowls so that the husband and I could make tacos exactly as we liked them.

Alongside I made a salad of cucumber, radishes and raw sunchokes (I just found out I LOVE sunchokes) dressed with a minced clove of garlic, some Spanish-infused vinegar that I made (the infusion has cider vinegar, garlic, chili peppers, chives, basil and oregano) and salt and pepper.

How was it? Really, really good. Pleasantly spicy but sweet (from the mango) at the same time. I am so glad that I have extra salsa, it will be a delicious snack tomorrow. The only thing that would have added is some cilantro with the salsa, but the husband has that genetic disposition towards cilantro that make it taste like soap. So, while I would have enjoyed it, the husband would have been miserable.

This was one of those meals that made me really happy that I cook at home.

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About Me

I'm a personal chef living happily with her picky-eater (but willing to try anything) husband and neurotic black lab.

I watch way too much TV and enjoy hip-hop more than any reasonable grown-up should.

I'm an avid swimmer and sometime triathlete (whenever I'm not nursing an injury).

Find out more about me here.

About This Blog

This blog details what I make with the contents of my box of fruits and veggies from my local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box and the occasional trip to the farmers market.

I am also a charcuterie enthusiast so the occasional project will show up here..

Every once in awhile I blog a random thought or two.

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