The Best Tacos
Prep
20m
Cook
10m
Total
30m
Bigly says
OK, here we go. The best taco I ever ate was in a gas station in Albuquerque. True story. A man named Ramón made it. He didn't speak. He just looked at me, nodded, and handed me a taco that changed me as a person — and I have had a LOT of tacos, more tacos than any single person you know, more than your friend who 'really knows tacos' and corners people at parties about it, you know the one. Texas. California. Even New Jersey, and I'll tell you what — New Jersey has surprisingly tremendous tacos, NOBODY talks about it, the food media will not touch the story, it's a scandal.
These tacos — the ones we are about to make — are ALMOST as good as Ramón's. Almost. I'm not going to lie to you and say they beat him, because Ramón is the truth and Ramón cannot be beaten, but they come close enough that you will feel something move in your chest. Your eyes will water a little. Your spouse will look at you funny. People stop me on the street — and they do, they actually do, all the time — and they say, 'Bigly, the tacos. The tacos. What did you do to me.' I tell them I gave them tremendous tacos. That is a one-way door. You can't go back. You wouldn't want to.
The secret is the meat. Skirt steak. Skirt steak is the KING of taco meats, hands down, not even close, it's a slaughter. Some people — sad people, weak people, people who should not be allowed near a hot pan — will tell you to use ground beef. Those people are wrong. They are just wrong. If your chef tells you otherwise, find a new chef. You can tell them Bigly said it. They'll know. Trust me.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbskirt steak(trim excess fat)
- 1/4 cuplime juice, fresh(fresh, not the green plastic bottle, never the bottle)
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 4 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbspground cumin
- 1 tbspchili powder
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1.5 tspkosher salt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 1/3 cup, dividedfresh cilantro, chopped
- 12small corn tortillas(corn, not flour, this is not a wrap, this is a taco)
- 1/2white onion, finely diced
- 2limes, cut into wedges (for serving)
- to tasteyour favorite salsa
Steps
- 1
Whisk lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and half the cilantro in a shallow dish. Add the skirt steak and turn to coat. Marinate 20 minutes at room temperature (or up to 4 hours in the fridge — bring back to room temp before cooking).
- 2
Heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until smoking. Don't touch it — let it get screaming hot.
- 3
Pat the steak dry with paper towels (this is how you get a crust). Sear 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare — the steak should pull away from the pan when it's ready to flip.
- 4
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes. Don't skip the rest.
- 5
While the steak rests, char the tortillas directly over a gas flame (or in a dry skillet over high heat) for about 10 seconds per side, until lightly blistered. Stack and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
- 6
Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips. The grain runs the long way on skirt — cut perpendicular to it.
- 7
Build tacos: tortilla, steak, diced onion, remaining cilantro, salsa. Squeeze of lime. Eat immediately.
One more thing
That's the whole thing. Twenty minutes of marinating, ten minutes of cooking, and you've got tacos that will make your family stop scrolling on their phones and look at you with real respect — the kind of respect you cannot buy at any store. They'll ask where you learned this. You can tell them. Or you can stay mysterious — I always stay mysterious, it works for me, the combover helps — but either way, the tacos do the talking. The tacos always do the talking. Save me a piece.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about The Best Tacos.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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