Like many people across the world, tacos are a staple in our house. We make our favorite skirt steak tacos literally every week, and most weeks find us trying a 2nd variation on taco night. Even though we are big fans of the tried and true versions we know and love, we dug a little deeper recently to find some less common taco recipes that we really enjoyed and thought you might too! And of course, since we raise the finest beef in AZ, our focus was on exciting new ways to prepare our beef, for the extremely important purpose of ‘taco-ing’. So here they are, in no particular order, from our family to yours.
Of course, the biggest secret to a great taco night is still good old-fashioned quality beef... some great options for these recipes are flank steak, skirt steak, a mini-brisket, or even our pre-cut fajita meat (less tender than a slow cooked brisket, but soo convenient).
#1: Brisket Tacos
Equipment: slow cooker Ingredients: 3 lbs beef brisket 3½ cups beef broth low sodium 1 yellow onion quartered 1 poblano chile de-seeded and chopped 5 cloves garlic minced ½ tsp salt 1 teaspoon cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 2 stems cilantro leaves 2 bay leaves
Instructions:
Prepare Beef: Place beef brisket in crockpot with the fat side up. Add Ingredients: Add in the chopped onion, chile, minced garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, cilantro leaves, and bay leaves. Pour in the beef broth. Slow Cook: Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until meat is fully cooked and easily shredded. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and place on a tray or large plate. Shred the meat using a fork and knife, or two forks. Save Juices: Pour the juices that the brisket was cooking in from the slow cooker into a strainer to strain out all the onions and leaves from the juice. (SAVE the juices)Skim the top of the juices to remove excess grease and then spoon a small amount, just a couple of tablespoons onto the meat. Serve: Serve the meat inside of burritos, tacos, or enchiladas. Or enjoy low carb with some grilled vegetables. Pro Tips: Reserve Juices: Keep some of the juice if you will be saving some brisket to reheat later. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Storage: store leftover meat in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezing: wrap the meat with plastic wrap or foil, then place in a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe container. Refrigerate until chilled then place in the freezer. Freeze for 2-4 months. To thaw remove meat to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight. Reheating Instructions: Prior to re-heating pour another couple of tablespoons of juice over the meat. This will keep it moist and prevent drying out during re-heating. To reheat place meat and juices in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 375℉ for 15 minutes or until meat is heated through. Original recipe from House of Yumm. 
#2: Grilled Steak Tacos with Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
Steak and Marinade: 2 lbs Flank or skirt steak 1 sliced sweet onion for grilling (optional) Juice of 1 orange & 2 limes 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sugar ( optional) 4 smashed, chopped garlic cloves 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (stems ok) sometimes I will add cumin, coriander or chili power
Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce:
1 bunch Cilantro or about 1 cup packed (stems OK) 1 bunch Italian Parsley- about 1 cup packed (thin stems OK) 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1–2 limes) 1/2 cup olive oil ¼ cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 of one jalapeño pepper
Garnish Ideas: Lime wedges, avocado slices, cabbage slaw, crumbed queso fresco or cotija cheese (optional), Tapatio hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, beans
Steak Instructions: In a bowl, mix together ingredients for marinade. Place steak and onions in a gallon size Ziploc bag and pour marinade over, sealing and turning several times to coat well. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally. (Or marinate for up to 3 hours in fridge, bringing to room temp before grilling.) Pre-heat grill and grill meat. Grill steak on med high heat to desired doneness. A little char is good. Let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice the meat across the grain. Chimichurri Instructions: In a food processor, place jalapeno, garlic, onion, and pulse several times until chopped. Add cilantro (stems are fine) and Italian parsley (again, thin stems are fine), pulse again. Add oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse until combined. Set aside in small serving bowl. Serve everything together, along with corn or flour tortillas and additional garnishes. Original recipe from Feasting at Home. 
#3 Thai Beef Tacos
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AuthorAlicia Perry, PhD, Owner/Operator and all around Hay Maven (see my blog post on the time I fell off a haystack...). I share industry insights, tips & tricks on grilling great beef, and my personal journey into the ranching world. |
