So ima ‘bout to drop some serious knowledge on y’all. Get ready. The secret to making melt in your mouth delicious steak:
1. Get the right cut of beef.
If you are planning on grilling, I recommend a flank or inside skirt steak. At my local butcher, I have to ask for them to cut this specifically for me as they don’t normally sell this cut. If you can, have your butcher clean off the fat and any of the tough outer membrane to save you the effort. (Bonus: It is also a pretty cheap cut of beef).
Not to worry if you cant find flank, this will work with any cut of meat you like to use for gilling. Because of secret number 2…
2. Marinade overnight with some pineapple juice.
The enzymes (bromelaine) in pineapple help to break down the protein in the meat. Which helps tenderize the meat. It works every time! I can’t take the credit for this, I learnt this trick from Littlespicejar a while ago. And I have never looked back.
This is now my go-to way to marinade steak!
Just let is marinade for at least 24 hours to let the pineapple do its thing. I like to marinade and then freeze for later. Then we just defrost and grill when we want some steak.
3. Rest & Cut against the grain
Don’t cut into the steak when it is hot off the grill! Allow it to rest for 5-10 mins to allow the juices to redistribute. This also helps keeps the steak moist and tender.
When you are ready to slice, make sure you go against the grain. It will be much easier to bite into the steak and it will melt in your mouth.
And thats it!
When I can get my hands on the perfect flank or skirt steak, I will turn it into these melt in your mouth delicious steak tacos.
Easy Steak Marinade (for Tacos)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs flank or skirt steak* (remove outer membrane, but leave it in one piece)
Marinade Ingredients
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice (fresh or canned will work)
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or soya sauce)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Taco Toppings
- 12 small corn tortilla
- 1/2 red pepper – diced
- 1 avocado – thinly sliced
- 2 sping onions – thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- Mix the marinade ingredients first and give them a taste for flavour, then pour over the steak and make sure it’s well coated. Now let the pineapple do its thing in an airtight container overnight in the fridge turning every once in a while to make sure the marinade gets all over. This can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to grill, make sure the grill is screaming hot before putting the meat on the grill. Close the lid, and don’t mess with it while it cooks. Let it sear and cook the first side.
- After about 3-4 minutes, flip it over. The meat should come off the grill easily. If not, let it cook a bit longer. Then let the other side cook (adjusting the temperature as needed) till desired doneness.
- We like it medium, so we cooked on medium heat for about 2 more minutes and then removed it from the grill.
- Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes. Letting the meat rest is important. It will continue to cook a bit in the residual heat and the juices will redistribute making it super juicy.
- Slice against the grain to maximize tenderness.
Assemble Tacos
- Heat the corn tortillas and prepare the topping ingredients (feel free to substitute for your toppings of choice).
- Layer a few slices of steak, top a sprinkle of the other ingredients.
- Serve immediately.
