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Nogales Steak Tacos
| Ingredients: |
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6 garlic cloves, mashed with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a mortar or on a cutting board |
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3/4 cup fresh sour orange juice (from Seville oranges) OR 1/4 cup fresh orange juice plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice |
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2 tablespoons tequila (optional) |
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2 tablespoons ground chiles (ancho or New Mexico) |
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1 cup chopped fresh cilantro |
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried |
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2 teaspoons salt |
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1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper |
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1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil |
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2
3/4- to 1-inch-thick chuck steaks, cut closest to the prime rib, OR two
1 to 1 1/4-inch-thick rib steaks (each about 1-1/2 pounds) |
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Salt |
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Freshly ground black pepper |
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24 corn tortillas, preferably handmade (or the freshest machine-made you can find) |
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1 pound mild white cheese, such as queso asadero, California Monterey Jack, or Wisconsin Muenster or brick, cut into 1/4-by-1-by-3- to 4-inch strips |
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6
fire-roasted pasilla chiles or 10 Anaheim chiles (see below), sliced,
OR equivalent canned green chiles, preferably Ortega brand, sliced |
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1 cup Lime-Pickled Red Onions |
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Guacamole |
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Salsas of your choice, such as green chile salsa and salsa cruda |
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Lime-Pickled Red Onions |
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Directions:
Flavor Step - Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together, or
put the ingredients into a food processor and pulse briefly. Lay 1
steak in a nonreactive dish. Puncture the meat all over on both sides
with a fork or skewer. Pour over half the marinade. Put the other steak
on top and repeat the process. Reverse the steaks to make sure that
both are well coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate overnight, turning the steaks occasionally to ensure full
penetration of the marinade.
About an hour before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator.
Soak 6 mesquite wood chunks or 2 cups of mesquite, oak, or hickory
chips in water. Fire up a covered charcoal grill with about 60
briquettes or the equivalent of mesquite charcoal. When the coals are
completely covered in gray ash and you can hold your hand over them
only for a count of two, scatter the mesquite chunks or chips over the
coals.
Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
Season lightly with salt and pepper. Put the steaks on the grill and
cover the kettle immediately. Adjust the vents so that no flare-ups
occur. Cook until steaks are done to your liking, 6 to 8 minutes per
side for medium-rare to medium (consult the Doneness Chart, page 56).
Set the steaks aside on a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep
warm while you prepare the tortilla/cheese setups.
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Briefly heat each tortilla over the direct
heat of the grill to soften it (or heat each tortilla in a heavy
skillet over high heat to soften). Heat the tortillas only enough to
make them pliable, so they don't crack when folded over the cheese.
Place 2 pieces of cheese on each tortilla and fold in half. Wrap 6 or
so folded tortillas in foil, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat the
process for all 24 tortillas. It takes about 10 minutes to heat the
folded tortillas in the oven and barely melt the cheese--don't keep
them in the oven too long or the cheese will ooze out. Pay attention to
timing: if you put the tortilla packets in the oven when the steaks are
done and let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, that should work out fine.
You can leave the tortillas in their foil packets for serving or, if
you'd like to be more authentic, wrap them in large cloth napkins or
dish towels.
To serve, cut the steaks against the grain into strips 3 to 4 inches
long and about 1/4 inch thick. Put the bones on a separate platter. Set
out the fire-roasted chiles, pickled onions, tortilla/cheese setups,
guacamole, and salsas, and encourage your guests to go for it. Pass
around the steak bones for true carnivores to gnaw on and toss over
their shoulders to the dogs. Beer (preferably Mexican) goes great here,
but a spicy Zinfandel would also be delicious.
Fire-Roasting Chiles or Bell Peppers
CHAR AND BLISTER THE PEPPERS, turning occasionally, over an open flame
or under a hot broiler. Put them into a plastic or paper bag for 10 to
15 minutes or so to sweat and loosen the skins. Scrape off the skins
and remove the stems and seeds. You can wash the peeled peppers under
cold running water if you want, but this can reduce the flavor
slightly. Ortega brand canned fire-roasted green chiles are an
acceptable substitute for fresh mild chiles.
Be careful when handling hot chiles. Use rubber gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after touching them. |
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