Quick Steak Tacos with Chimichurri + Radish Slaw
I love sauce. I am a big condiments person. Are you? Or do you like things plain and simple? When I was on Whole30, I was having steak for dinner one night and went to reach for the steak sauce and was like "Oh, ya. Shoot!". So I googled Whole30 steak sauce alternatives and chimichurri kept popping up. I'd never tried but I had most of the ingredients so I whipped it up and wow! So much flavor! I'll choose it over steak sauce anytime, now.
Let me tell ya, these tacos are all about the chimichurri. It's a bright, tangy, herbaceous, slightly spicy sauce that is perfect for marinating and topping grilled meat. Traditional chimichurri uses parsley, but honestly parsley is not my jam so I subbed in cilantro and it is so, so good. But if you love parsley, use it! If you marinate the steak the night before, this is a pretty quick meal to throw together when you get home from work, too. You can even whip up the slaw the night before too so all you have to do the night you've having them is warm up the tortillas, grill the steak, and assemble. Probably the best part is the chimichurri does double duty: you use it to marinate the steak and for topping the finished tacos later. Um, yes. And they are so flavorful but pretty healthy, too so yay. If you find yourself with leftover chimichurri, try drizzling it over roasted potatoes, poached eggs on Saturday morning, or anything that needs a little herby kick.
Steak Tacos with Chimichurri + Radish Slaw
makes about 8 tacos
1 lb flank steak (or skirt steak works, too)
chimichurri sauce (recipe below)
radish slaw (recipe below)
corn tortillas
sour cream, to serve
lime wedges, to serve
sliced avocado, to serve
chimichurri
2 c cilantro, roughly chopped
1 c olive oil
juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
pinch of red pepper flakes (add as much or as little as you like)
1/2 c red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 t salt
radish slaw
1 c radishes, thinly sliced into matchsticks
2 c cabbage, finely shredded (red or green leaf)
juice of 1 lime
1/4 t salt
make the chimichurri
In the bowl of a food processor, add all the chimichurri ingredients and pulse until everything is finely chopped and the sauce has come together. Reserve half the sauce for topping tacos later.
marinate the steak
Add the flank steak to a shallow dish just large enough for the meat to lay flat but deep enough to be submerged in the marinade. Pour half the chimichurri over the steak, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. You can easily marinate this the night before and just pop it in the fridge. Just take it out about 30 minutes before you're ready to grill it to let it come to room temperature.
make the slaw
Combine the cabbage and radish in a large bowl. Drizzle over the lime juice and the salt. Toss to combine. This can be made the night before, too.
assemble the tacos
Preheat oven to 300 . Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven for about 15 minutes. If you'd rather, you can also just crisp up the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or barbecue to high heat. Add the steak and cook for about 4 minutes then flip and cook another 4 minutes on the other side. I like my steak medium but if you'd like it a little on the rare side, try 3 minutes per side instead. Transfer steak to a cutting board and cover with foil for 10 minutes to let it rest. Slice the steak against the grain in thin strips. Fill the tortillas with some slaw, steak slices, and avocado slices. Top with a drizzle of chimichurri, a dollop of sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.
