Tequila Chili Lime Steak Tacos

This past weekend, we hosted an "end of summer bbq" with our family. Eric and I wanted to get part of our family together to show off our latest renovation project - my awesome kitchen. For entertaining large crowds, we love to cook some of our staple favorites like burgers, cuban pork chops, citrus steaks usually with white rice and a big pot of black beans. Despite the triple digit heat wave we were experiencing, I would not be using my new stove top for cooking anything. HECK.NO. My husband is the grill-bbq master so I knew that having a taco bar would be easy enough for a large group, and something that everyone would enjoy as well.

A couple months ago, I went to a food demo that Cat Cora was cooking tasty treats from her latest book, "Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist." Cat Cora had prepared her delicious flank steak tacos with pineapple salsa and I had yet to recreate the dish myself. I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to cook up her dish. I did modify the recipe a bit and added a couple extra ingredients - tequila, cilantro and garlic cloves because I always love a festive marinade for color and the wow factor. I didn't make the pineapple salsa to garnish but a roasted corn chili salsa that I will post tomorrow. The tequila and chili-lime flavors combined with the tender and juicy flank steak were incredibly rich and amazing. This was a perfect dinner on a hot summer/fall-ish day. Enjoy!

Tequila Chili Lime Steak Tacos
Inspired by Cat Cora Classics with a Twist
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pound flank steak, visible fat removed
3 limes, juice and zest
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup, cilantro leaves

Toppings: Guacamole, salsa, and cheese (queso fresco) and corn tortillas

Preparation:

In a food processor, add the garlic and cilantro leaves. Pulse until coarsely fine, for less than 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients - lime juice, lime zest, ancho chili spice, chili spice, tequila, cumin, and olive oil. Pulse until completely combined.

In a large ziploc baggie, place the flank steak inside and season with kosher salt. Add the tequila marinade over the flank steak and let the mixture sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, prepare your grill. Cook the flank steak to your liking (medium rare) - for about 2 pound flank steaks - it takes about 35 to 40 minutes. *We tripled this recipe for the amount of people that we were serving.*

When finished cooking, let the flank steak rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. Slice against the grain and place in a large platter. Serve with corn tortillas and your toppings. Enjoy!

Review: These were great and tasty tacos to celebrate the end of summer, and everyone absolutely loved the fresh flavors of lime combined with the garlic and spices and the slight hint of tequila. If you wanted a little bit more of a kick, you can add a touch more of chili spices to the marinade. We had zero leftovers from this party. Everyone had a indefinite taco food coma, and I definitely recommend you check this recipe out. Your friends and family will love you!