Boom, this is simple EPIC! The weather is getting nice and toasty here in Brisbane, so I'm cranking up my BBQ on the regular. If perfectly grilled meat, charred flour tortillas, crunchy red cabbage and a DELICIOUS creamy corn elote are your thing, then you have come to the right place 😉 Keep scrolling to see how to make my delicious grilled steak tacos!
sponsored by Heirloom Vineyards, McLaren Vale
Why I Love This Recipe
- it's simple to make
- takes 20 minutes
- shag all cleaning as it's cooked on the BBQ
- good for parties/to feed a crowd
- tasty AF
- it's steak & corn - what more do you want?
Yep, that's right - I am BIGGING up this recipe and rightly so. These grilled steak tacos with creamy corn elote are a thing of sheer beauty. The fact they are ready in 20 minutes, and you can feed a crowd with them is simply a winner. Not to mention how damn tasty they are too. Smokey, creamy, and a little spicy with a lovely texture from your charred tortilla and crunchy red cabbage. I am literally drooling as I write this!
The Best Steak For Tacos
Right, so you are used to cooking either sirloin, eye fillet or a nice piece of rib-eye steak. You know, serve it with some mashed potatoes, a little sauce and maybe some mushrooms. TOTALLY old skool but tasty nonetheless. This time round we are grilling hot and fast so here are my favourite cuts to use.
Flap Meat
It's not the most common of cuts but it's a little hidden gem in my opinion. Located on the bottom sirloin of the cow - near the back leg close to the flank. It's a relatively inexpensive cut, works beautifully with marinades and cooked medium rare is simply a treat.
When cooking this cut I like to either cut the piece in half depending upon how even the thickness is. If possible leave as one whole piece - makes it easier when turning! You want your grill HOT. Get a hard sear on it and flip it after a few mins. Aim for an internal temperature of 48-52c and allow it to rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing. Slice across the grain for best results.
Hangar Steak
PACKED with flavour this cut hangs from the diaphragm or lower belly of the cow. It's not an area that does a ton of work so it's SUPER tender too. Taste wise it's got a real beefy flavour - I know that sounds crazy but once you compare it to other cuts you'll understand.
Similar to my friend above it's best suited for hot and fast cooking, allowing it adequate time to rest and slice against the grain for the perfect grilled steak tacos
Skirt Steak
A long and thin cut that comes from the plate (belly area) of the cow. It's often confused with flank, but visually it's thinner and narrower than its friend. Another difference between the two is the grain. Skirt runs widthways whereas the flank runs lengthways.
The cooking of skirt is very simple but like most things also easy to screw up! I advise marinade or rub it in your favourite BBQ rub for maximum flavour. ROASTING hot grill and give it a quick sear. I'm talking literally 90 seconds a side for rare to medium rare. Slice it thin against the grain and you will have a cut of beef with maximum flavour. If you like your meat cooked more medium to medium well then just slice the meat thinner when serving it to help retain flavour and texture.
You won't regret this choice for your grilled steak tacos or fajitas.
Flank Steak
The last of the 4 cuts that are my favourite for making grilled steak tacos. Flank, like the other 3 cuts is long, and thin with amazing texture to it. This cut comes from the flank of the cow which is just below the loin. It's a hardworking cut so therefore loves being tenderized through rubs, marinades or a few punches to the gut. It needs to be cooked hot and fast or low and slow - there is no in-between if you want to enjoy it 😉
Medium rare is the best way to eat flank and don't forget to rest your meat before slicing against the grain!
Corn Elote
I fell in love with this Mexican street snack when living in NYC. There was this taco shop called Tacombi around the corner from my work that sold its tacos out of a VW campervan in an old airy warehouse. Probably my 1st time having real Mexican food. Growing up in Ireland, Mexican food was usually the most bastardized thing you could do to Mexican food.....
Corn elote is served 2 ways. Either grill your corn on the cob with some spices, top ith with a tangy sauce (mayo/sour cream based), sprinkle with cotija cheese and some coriander OR as they served it in Tacombi in a little bowl. All the same components just not as messy to eat as you can use a spoon 😉
Either way, it's served it's an EPIC snack and one that everyone should have up their sleeve for BBQ time. For my delicious grilled steak tacos, I have taken the corn elote flavours - added a little extra mayo/sour cream and popped it inside the crispy tortilla. The result is epic - go on, give it a try!
Heirloom Vineyards
If you have been following my journey on socials or here on my site you will have noticed I'm quite fond of the wines made by Heirloom Vineyards in the Mclaren Vale. Not only are they affordable but they are just so damn good. The wine in question today is their Adelaide Hills Syrah.
Syrah vs Shiraz
Now, you may think Syrah, isn't that the same as Shiraz? Technically yes it's the same grape but stylistically completely different. Syrah originated in France and is softer, less tannins, typically less alcohol and more blue fruits, pepper and herbaceous notes. Shiraz - what we call it here in Australia (until a few cooler climate areas started making it more in the Syrah style) has higher levels of alcohol, bolder tannins and likes oak a little more. Flavours of black fruits, plums, vanilla, pepper, and dark chocolate are some that spring to mind.
Heirloom Syrah & Grilled Steak Tacos
When I was asked to pair a dish with the Heirloom Adelaide Hills Syrah - my grilled steak tacos with corn elote was one of the first that came to mind. Partially because I eat tacos every week but many because I knew it would just work! The Syrah is beautiful velvety purple in colour with a nose of plums, lavender and nutmeg. The palate is where it's all at with this one - tons of fruit, a beautiful balance of tannins and acid and the more it's open the better it gets 😉
Crack this bottle, pour a small glass and pop the rest in the decanter. Get cooking your grilled steak tacos, and the wine will be singing as you sit down to eat!
Alternative Taco Recipes
If these grilled steak tacos with corn elote haven't got you pumped, then these other taco dishes on my site are defo going to help a little too 😉
Grilled Octopus Tacos w/ Mango Salsa
Crispy Fish Tacos w/ Apple Jalapeno Salsa
Happy Cooking & Happy Eating Friends!!
Ingredients
- 800 g steak flap, flank or skirt
- olive oil
- BBQ rub
Elote
- 4 ears corn
- 1 large jalapeno
- 1 spring onion
- 1 handful coriander
- 80 g sour cream
- 30 g mayonnaise
- 1 pinch salt
- 40 g cotija cheese or crumbled feta
- 2 tbsp lime
Other
- coriander
- 12 tortillas
- red cabbage – thinly sliced
Essential Tools
- Chef Knives
- Chopping board
- measuring/weighing utensils
- mixing bowl
- tongs
- BBQ
- wire rack – for resting your meat
Instructions
- Drizzle the steak in oil and rub in your favourite BBQ rub
- Finely dice the jalapeno, chop the spring onion and chop the coriander
- Char the corn on the BBQ, remove from ear and mix with all the elote ingredients
- Cook your steak for approx. 2 minutes per side or until internal temperature reads 48-52c for medium rare. Rest your steak for 3-5 mins and char your tortillas
- Serve the tacos with red cabbage, elote and slices of steak on top. Squeeze of lime juice and coriander for garnish
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- ALWAYS rest your meat before cutting into it – this allows the juices to redistribute, leaving you with perfectly cooked and juicy meatrest you meat on a wire rack – this allows air to circulate
- corn elote can be made in advance if serving for a party and will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge
- cotija cheese is the classic cheese for elote but feta also works of you can’t get any
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