Skirt Steak Tacos with Cabbage Slaw, Pico, and Green Sauce

Skirt Steak Tacos with Cabbage Slaw, Pico, and Green Sauce

Skirt Steak Tacos with Cabbage Slaw, Pico, and Green Sauce

Serves 2 (4 tacos).  Active time about 30 minutes.


Four components, each simple. Build the slaw, pico, and green sauce ahead so the steak comes out of the pan straight onto warm tortillas.


Ingredients


Steak

  • 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed

  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil for the pan


Cabbage slaw

  • 2 cups red cabbage, shredded thin

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Pico

  • 2 medium ripe tomatoes, small dice

  • 1 small shallot, finely minced

  • 1/2 jalapeño, finely minced (seeds in or out, your call)

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper


Green sauce

  • 1 large bunch cilantro, thick stems trimmed

  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, thick stems trimmed

  • 1/4 cup basil leaves

  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • Juice of 2 lemons

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper


To serve

  • 4 corn tortillas


Method

  1. Slaw. Combine the shredded cabbage, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Massage with your hands for about a minute, until the cabbage softens and turns glossy. Set aside to keep pickling while you work.

  2. Pico. Combine the tomatoes, shallot, jalapeño, lime juice, and olive oil in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and let sit so the flavors marry.

  3. Green sauce. Add the cilantro, parsley, basil, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified, scraping down as needed. Stream in more olive oil until it pours like a loose sauce, not a paste. Taste and adjust salt and acid. Pour into a small bowl.

  4. Pat the skirt steak completely dry. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides, pressing in. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes.

  5. Heat a heavy stainless or cast-iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes on contact. Add the neutral oil and swirl. Lay the steak in the pan away from you. Sear undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Skirt is thin and goes fast. Pull at 125 F internal and rest on a board, loosely tented, for 5 to 7 minutes.

  6. While the steak rests, warm the tortillas directly over a gas flame for about 15 seconds per side until lightly charred and pliable, or in a dry skillet over medium-high. Stack and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.

  7. Slice the steak against the grain on a steep bias into thin strips. The grain on skirt is wide and obvious. Cutting across it is the difference between tender and chewy.

  8. Build each taco: tortilla, a small handful of slaw, a few slices of steak, a spoonful of pico, then a generous drag of green sauce across the top. Serve immediately.


Notes

The green sauce keeps in the fridge 3 to 4 days. It thickens cold; loosen with a splash of water or more olive oil before serving.

Skirt steak benefits from a hotter pan than feels comfortable. If the pan is not smoking lightly when the steak goes in, the crust will not develop in the time it takes to cook through.

 
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