If you have followed me at all then you know I love to travel. I love to pour myself into a new place and walk, shop and visit the locals. I NEVER dine at chain restaurants or eat at places the tourists might go. I gravitate toward where the locals like to eat. Many times that is found on the street. Meaning food trucks. Not the fancy beautiful trucks that you see, but the ones feeding the locals. Here in Oklahoma, if you drive through a new neighborhood under construction you will find food trucks that pull up and feed the workers. Those trucks serve some of the most delicious street tacos you will ever taste. The ingredients are inexpensive and simply prepared. In fact, some of my workers, on my house remodel, just cooked on a piece of tin and a gas burner in the back yard. I sometimes would join them because their tacos were so much better than mine. I encourage you to give my take on tacos a try! Here is what I learned on how to make the best street tacos around:
- Your steak does not have to be an inexpensive cut. I use skirt steak or thin sirloin.
- Marinate the meat for at least 2 hours before grilling.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and dab it dry with a paper towel.
- Grill the meat on a HOT grill or grill pan
- Cook the meat to medium.
- No cheese needed
- Grill the corn tortillas slightly before serving
I also like to serve my tacos with a fresh brown rice medley. I combine corn, black beans, cilantro and lime for a fresh take on the overly redundant rice served at so many restaurants. No more boring sides. Brighten your dish with lime! Simple fix to a usually boring food.
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup long grain brown rice
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
In a stockpot bring 2 cups of water, salt and brown rice to a boil. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Place a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 40-50 minutes or until done. Allow the rice to cool before stirring in the black beans and corn. Serve with tacos.
Authentic Steak Street Tacos
1 skirt steak
2 cups orange juice
Zest and juice of one lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
corn tortillas
onion, chopped
cilantro, chopped for serving
Place the steak in a ziploc bag and pour the orange juice over the top of the steak. Add the lime juice and zest, cumin, salt, garlic and cilantro. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before grilling. Heat a grill or grill pan till it is hot. Brush both sides of a corn tortilla with vegetable oil and grill till warm and marks appear on the tortilla. Place in a dishcloth to stay warm before serving. Grill the steaks till cooked to medium. Allow the steak to rest at least 6-8 minutes before slicing. To make a street taco place sliced pieces of steak in the center of the corn tortilla. Top with chopped onion and cilantro.