What a Jerk! Steak Tacos

Bill was out this evening, but that didn't stop me from cooking a delicious dinner. I took a mental inventory of the freezer and fridge during my drive home, and came up with a couple steaks we never got around to eating, some leftover corn tortillas, and a mango Bill had bought with the intent of making more mango salsa. Sounded like a good night for tacos!

I had to defrost the steak in a sinkful of cold water, which wasn't ideal ... I like to stock my freezer and don't mind pulling something out the day I plan to make it, I just like to give it enough time to defrost properly in the refrigerator. But at least the wait time gave me a chance to get to work on my salsa. Turns out cutting a mango is tough. I thought I knew what I was doing, and in the end it all worked out, but it's not easy getting around the large pit. Perhaps I should have done some mango-cutting research. I consulted the mango salsa recipe Bill used last week (because it was delicious!), but instead of following it exactly I just threw together what I had in the fridge. (I apologize for the approximation of the ingredients!) It's hard to say whose was better ... we might have to have a salsa throwdown :)

Jerk Steak Tacos with Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
2 (4-5 oz.) sirloin steaks
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
4 corn tortillas
Mango salsa (recipe follows)

Directions:

Pat steaks dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Rub each steak liberally with jerk seasoning. Prick both sides all over with a fork.

Heat grill pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Place steaks in pan and cook to desired doneness, flipping once (ok, I flipped twice), about 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare (I like mine medium-well and they were perfect after about 15 minutes). Remove steaks from pan, tent with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave 45 seconds to 1 minute, until tortillas are warm and pliable.

Slice steaks against the grain. Fill each tortilla with a few slices of steak and a couple spoonfuls of salsa.

Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
1 mango, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 small handful cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Toss to combine.


All I can say is that Bill really missed out tonight. My steaks (which I was a little nervous about, having pulled them from the freezer when I got home) turned out perfectly. The jerk seasoning was awesome and the salsa cooled it down just right.

Turns out Bill went to Glorioso's while he was out and had arancini there. I almost felt guilty for eating such an amazing meal without him ... until I learned that. Luckily, he redeemed himself twofold when he got home. He told me my arancini are better and he brought me a napoleon for dessert :)