Beef and/or Pork Tacos

As i was cleaning out my pantry i realized i still had a package of cassava flour.   as I had never used cassava flour before i looked at the packaging and there listed a recipe for grain free tortillas.  So i knew then I wanted to make tacos and then i wanted to make something with a chimichurri sauce and this is what came out of it.

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

https://pinchofyum.com/steak-tacos

prep time: 1 hour (or more depends on length of marinade) / cook time: 10 mins

Yields: 8-10 tacos

Ingredients:

 Marinade:

  • 1/2 jalapeño or chili

  • handful of cilantro

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • juice of 1 limes

  • juice of 1/2 orange

  • 1 tbsp vinegar

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1/2 tbsp cumin

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

For Tacos:

  • 1-1.5 pounds flank steak or pork tenderloin

  • corn or flour tortillas

  • red onion (I added a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of sugar to dilute the fresh onion taste)

  • cilantro

  • guacamole

  • cotija cheese (optional)

  • salsa (optional, i had made a simple salsa with cucumber and corn)

chimichurri:

  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 tbsp cup red wine vinegar

  • 1 garlic cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Grain Free Tortillas made from Cassava Flour: (makes 12 tortillas)

  • 1 1/2 cup Cassava flour (I used Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour)

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 4 tbsp olive oil

  • 2/3 cup (160g) warm water

 

Method:

1.  Marinade: Blend marinade ingredients together until smooth.  slice meat into thin pieces against the grain and Place meat in a large bowl or dish, cover with the marinade, and let rest in the fridge for 1-8 hours (4 hours is ideal).

2. Toppings: Prep your toppings.

3.  make chimichurri sauce: Pulse through a food processor till somewhere between chunky and smooth. We also added a handful of fresh cilantro.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. make Tortillas: Whisk together the flour and salt.  add the oil and warm water and knead until the dough is nice and smooth.  the dough should not be dry or too sticky.  divide dough into 12 balls.  roll each dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper until thin or use a tortilla press.  heat a dry skillet or pan over medium high heat.  place tortilla into pan, wait for the air bubbles to form (approx 1 min) and then flip.  each side should be slightly browned.  allow tortilla to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before stacking on a plate and covering with a towel.

 5. Grilling the meat: Preheat grill or grilling pan to medium heat. Remove meat from marinade and discard remaining marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place meat on grill and grill for 3-5 minutes per side and then flip.  cook until meat is done and a bit browned. 

6. Assembly: build your tacos – meat, chimichurri, cilantro, red onion, guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc... and enjoy!

this was so good!  i was so surprised at how easy it was to make the tortillas, the dough was one of the easiest doughs to work with, it wasn't at all sticky or too dry.  i was afraid that it would completely fall apart after rolling and peeling it off the parchment paper, but it mostly all stuck together.  so far cassava flour seems to be a great alternative for a gluten free flour, i will try some other recipes with it to see if it really is a good binder flour.

overall this dish is super easy to make and is delicious.   the chimichurri sauce is also super quick to make and it is very tasty, it packs a lot of flavor.  plus with the red onions, salsa, and guacamole this dish is very well balanced in flavor and texture.  it is also a great summer dish!

cooking, dinner, mexicanJackie Wongchimichurri, cassava flour, tortillas, tacos2 Comments