Chipotle Beef Tacos

Another favorite, especially if you enjoy some heat.

Chipotle Beef Tacos with Caramelized Onions (Tacos de Carne Asada Enchipotlada)

From: Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless

Makes: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
One 7-ounce can chipotle chiles en adobo
1 pound skirt or flank steak skirt steak should be trimmed of fat and white silverskin
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil divided use
2 medium white onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
"Salt"
12 warm corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade
About 3/4 cup bottled salsa or hot sauce, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Turn the oven onto its lowest setting. Open the can of chipotles and scrape them into a food
processor or blender. Process until smooth. Use a brush to smear a light chipotle patina on the
steak (go a little heavier on the flank than skirt steak). You’ll have chipotle marinade left over;
cover and refrigerate for up to several weeks.

2. In a very large (12-inch) skillet, the heavier the better, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over
medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden but still crunchy, about 4
to 5 minutes. Scoop into a heatproof serving bowl, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet,
and slide into the oven.

3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat (or a little lower for flank steak). Add the remaining 1
tablespoon oil. When it is hot, lay in the steak. Brown on both sides, cooking until as done as you
like: about 3 minutes per side for medium skirt steak, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare 1
1/2-inch-thick flank steak. The meat will be juiciest if you let it rest in the oven for 5 to 10
minutes on a wire rack over a plate, but you can cut and serve it right away.

4. Cut the skirt steak into roughly 3-inch lengths, then cut each piece across the grain into 1/4-inch
strips. Or cut the flank steak straight down into 1/4-inch slices across the grain; on the thick
end, you may want to cut the slices lengthwise in half into thinner strips.

5. Toss the meat with the onions. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon. Serve with the
warm tortillas and salsa or hot sauce for making soft tacos.


Steak Taco Riffs: I’ll bet you’re already thinking about firing up the grill for
cooking the beef and onion, which will, of course, make this fabulous dish Elysian. Red onions cook
up sweeter than the white ones, which many people prefer—but not me. Boneless, skinless chicken
breasts make tasty chipotle-and-caramelized-onion tacos; and don’t overlook catfish.