Flank steak is a cut of beef that is prized for its flavour. Although tough, if not properly prepared, with good cooking, it is a delicacy even for the most demanding palates. One way to prepare flank steak is in tacos, specifically, in arrachera.
What is flank steak in arrachera?
Arrachera is very popular in Mexico and is one of the most requested dishes by taco lovers. Arrachera is a cut of beef that is removed from the diaphragm muscle area of the animal; this muscle is none other than the flank steak. Preparing arrachera can be time-consuming, as the recipe is laborious and the flank steak cut is difficult to cook.
The first thing to do when cooking flank steak is to remove all the membranes; you can ask the butcher to clean it, or do it yourself at home. You just need to make a cut over the membrane and pull it out with your fingers. Also, if you want the meat to be tender, you will need to pound it with a kitchen mallet and, of course, make a marinade according to the instructions of the recipe you are following.
Flank steak tacos recipe
Ingredients
- 750 grams of veal flank steak.
- Three oranges.
- Two lemons.
- A splash of beer.
- Three tablespoons of Perrins sauce.
- Dried oregano.
- Cumin powder.
- Coarse salt.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation
- Before starting the whole process of preparing the flank steak tacos in arrachera, you should bear in mind that the marinade will take approximately six hours. Time this well.
- In a bowl of sufficient depth, squeeze the oranges and lemons to mix them together.
- Add the Perrins sauce (if you don't have it, it can be Worcestershire sauce); a splash of beer, a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste and ground cumin (one teaspoon).
- Mix the ingredients together and place the flank steaks inside. The meat should be completely covered, so add a little more beer if you feel the liquid is needed.
- Cover the container with a lid or cling film and put it in the fridge for six hours. You can prepare it the night before.
- The traditional recipe is grilled, but you can also grill the arrachera.
- Preheat the griddle and add a drizzle of olive oil. Spread the oil over the surface with the help of kitchen paper.
- When the surface is very hot, place the fillets on the griddle.
- It is very important to keep an eye on the fillets at all times, as you don't want them to burn or lose their juices and tenderness. Please note that to handle the fillets and prevent them from losing their juices, you will need to use tongs when turning them.
- Cooking time should be approximately four to five minutes on each side.
Preparing the flank steak tacos
Ingredients
- Wheat or corn flour tortillas.
- Two avocados.
- Pico de gallo.
- Salsa verde (optional).
- A lime.
Preparation
- The first thing to do is to make the pico de gallo. For this you need onion, tomato and cilantro. Finely dice the vegetables. The coriander should also be chopped so that only the leaves are left. Mix everything together in a bowl and add the lime juice. Note that the pico de gallo is optional and not everyone likes it.
- Cut the arrachera into strips and place them in a container with a lid or cover them with aluminium foil. It is important that the meat does not get cold while you are preparing the tacos.
- Cut the avocado into strips.
- Heat the tortillas on the griddle where you made the arracheras. This will infuse them with the flavour of the meat; you can also heat them in the microwave. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
- Assembling the taco is very easy. Just take a tortilla, place the arrachera, a strip of avocado and top with pico de gallo or salsa verde.
- Another way to eat arracheras is with cheese. It's a simpler way, but also delicious. If you are a cheese lover, cut the meat into strips and add cheese on top. The heat of the arrachera should be enough to melt the cheese; if not, you can place the cheese on top of the flour tortilla when heating it on the griddle.
What to serve with flank steak tacos
Flank steak tacos is a main dish that can be served on its own and needs no accompaniments. The tortillas and the meat are enough to satiate the diners. However, before serving the arrachera, you can serve some fried beans with nachos as a starter. To do this, you can either prepare the beans yourself (boil them) or buy canned beans. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add the beans and mash them with a fork to form a paste. Just stir and buy triangular nachos (totopos) and serve as a starter.
