Simple Char-Grilled Tex-Mex

Last week I received my newest issue of FINE COOKING. I love this magazine and try to make something from it right away. With the evening schedule on the DL tonight, I went to Giant to get what I needed for this delight! Yum. BTW: Giant had Breyers ice cream, 2 for 1!

This dish is really one, but two recipes.

Sirloin Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

Sirloin Tacos
serves 8

Serve these with the roasted tomato salsa (below) as well as chopped lettuce, cilantro, sour cream and your other favorite taco condiments.

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon granulated garlic
1 Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick
package (10-16) of small tortillas, corn or flour

In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic, pepper and thyme; blend well. sprinkle both sides of the steak with the dry rub and then rub it in. Let the meat sit for half an hour at room temperature.

To cook it: The recipe calls for grilling it. If you have a grill, do that. We used a grill pan. If you have one, use it. If you have a fry pan, use that. Cook about 5 minutes on each side for medium. Adjust from there.

When done, allow to rest for five to ten minutes before slicing into thin strips.

Serve with warm tortillas, fixin's and roasted tomato salsa.

Roasted Tomato Salsa
yields about 2 cups

Serranos are generally hotter than jalapenos, but they are also smaller, so you can use either, in the same quantity.

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1-2 Jalapeno peppers
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 cup, coarsely chopped cilantro, fresh
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

In a small bowl, rinse onions in cool water. This will pull out some of the bitter/sharp taste of the raw yellow onion. Drain. Mix with lime juice and set aside.

In a dry, heavy skillet (cast iron if you have it) over high heat, "roast" the tomatoes, chiles and garlic until charred on all sides. 2-5 minutes for the garlic, 8-10 for the chiles, 12-15 for the tomatoes. When done, whirl it all up in a food processor until well chopped, but slightly chunky--like me! Transfer to the bowl of onions, mix and taste. Add more lime juice or salt to taste.

NOTES: I halved both recipes for us. 1 pound of meat. 3 tomatoes, 1 jalapeno, 1/4 of an onion...all was really good. There was no cilantro at the store, so I didn't substitute...it was great without it. We figure this would be a great recipe for entertaining...I'm sure we will do it for our meat eater guests!

UPDATE: See a photo of this when I served it at home 2/10/06.