You may notice that there are quite a few taco recipes on this site. It’s because taco night is a weekly ritual in my household, and I try to come up with a new taco combination almost every single week (but of course we always manage to repeat our favorites). I think food is just more fun when you eat it with your hands, and a tortilla is the perfect vehicle for transporting food from your plate to your mouth. Yum!
When I hit upon a combination that I’m especially excited about, I have to share. This last week’s variation was one of those winners: Thai Steak Tacos with a very refreshing cucumber and mango salsa. I marinated my skirt steak overnight with nuoc cham (more a traditional Vietnamese sauce, but it crosses borders into Thai dishes too) to make sure it had a chance to soak up the umami and sweet flavors of the sauce.
Before grilling the steak, I threw together our mango and cucumber salsa and dressed it with more of the nuoc cham so that it would have time marinate a bit. Then I popped opened up our grill and quickly grilled the steak on high heat. I enjoyed the finished dish under the sun because tacos are better when you’re in the heat or at least in a warm-place state of mind. Enjoy with a cold beer and some limes, and this taco medley will make you feel like summer’s always around for ya.
- Yesterday our ‘How-To’ post was about cubing mangos. See just how easy it is to turn this fruit into a meal accompaniment here.
- We also have a video to show you how to dice shallots and dice cucumber. We’re just here for you like that.
- The directions below use a grill pan. If you prefer to use your outdoor grill, just sear your meat over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. To learn more about grilling with high heat, check out our grilling series.
Do you have taco night at your house? What’s your favorite combination?
- Ingredients – Nuoc cham
- Sugar – 1/2 cup
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Fish sauce – 1/4 cup
- Lime juice – 2 to 3 tbs.
- Hot sauce – to taste, (like Sriracha)
- Ingredients – Tacos
- Skirt steak – 1 1/2 lbs.
- Nuoc nam – 1/2 cup, (ingredients listed separately)
- Shallots – 1 bulb, minced
- Cucumbers – 1/2 lb., diced
- Mango – 2, diced
- Cilantro – 1/4 bunch, chopped
- Cooking oil – 2 tbs.
- Tortillas – 8
- Make nuoc cham – Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sweetener into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by about half, ~15 minutes. Mix with remainder of sauce ingredients and season to taste with hot sauce. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Steak – Tenderize with a fork and then combine with 1/2 cup of nuoc nam in a baking pan or a Ziploc bag. Marinate for up to 30 minutes and ideally overnight. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Shallots / Cucumbers / Mango / Cilantro – Prep as directed. Toss with 1/4 cup of nuoc nam and some salt. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.
- Try to take steak out of fridge ~30 minutes before cooking for most-even results. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush with cooking oil and then add steak to heated pan. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes each side. Set aside and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat up tortillas according to package instructions.
- Slice steak into smaller pieces or longer slices. For longer slices, remember to slice against the grain. Let everyone assemble their own tacos with steak and cucumber and mango salsa.