Culture

I was always under the impression that to enjoy a truly succulent, medium-rare, flash-in-the-pan steak, the only route to success was via the pricey eye or scotch fillet. I was wrong. Both supermarket chains carry “tenderised BBQ steak” in their chillers and I was initially sceptical as to whether MSG or some other unwanted intruder had somehow snuck into this tenderising process, or if this cut was an offence to self-proclaimed steak lovers. But, as long as you avoid any cuts that are slathered in suspicious-looking gelatinous brown sauce, or indeed sauce of any kind (don’t even get me started on the abomination that is apricot chicken), the treatment of the meat appears to be limited to its physical appearance.

The steak had long indents running through it, which was ideal for this recipe. Similar to the pulled pork recipe of weeks gone by, the meat was treated to a similar black pepper crust. Be sure to thoroughly massage the pepper, salt and cumin into all of the indentations in the meat. The heat of the pan, minimal oil and cooking time are all significant factors in the process and I cannot stress enough the importance of resting the meat once you remove it from the heat – leave it for 15 minutes. In the words of The Beatles, “let it be.” After this, you can slice it
into lengths, deep black on the outside and a lovely soft pink in the middle.

The steak I’ve recommended is super cheap (the piece I selected cost an embarrassingly low $2.70), but handles the high heat where other cheap cuts would not. By all means, splash out on an indulgent piece of $30/kg steak if you so wish, but trust the power of the “tenderised BBQ steak.” I was wrong to consider it ominous and nasty – it actually lends itself perfectly to these bundles of deliciousness, inspired by the Mexico restaurants in Auckland that serve up individual soft tacos in brightly-coloured bowls with heavenly combinations of ingredients that dance in your mouth. My favourite garnish is freshly-torn mint leaves. When you make this, go all out with the mint, don’t hold back on the lime and savour the spicy, soft steak.

Ingredients

250g piece of tenderised steak
Cracked black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp rice bran oil, plus extra for cooking
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, very finely diced
3 spring onions, very finely sliced
1/2 lime – zest and juice
4 tortillas

Method

1. Coat both sides of the steak with pepper until completely black. Evenly massage in the salt and cumin. Rub 1 tsp of the rice brain oil into the steak.

2. Heat a large frying pan or girdle pan until smoking hot. Drop the steak into the pan and cook for two minutes on one side (add a very small amount of oil if the pan smokes too much). Turn the steak over and cook for a further two minutes, but no more. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

3. Toss the tomatoes, red onion, spring onions, lime zest and lime juice together.

4. Once the steak has rested, carefully slice it into lengths.

5. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds each, then roll into a cone. Pack with the salsa, top with a few strips of steak and pack into your hungry gob. These are handheld and messy and a perfect way to finish a long, relentless week.

Makes four mouthwatering bundles.

Photo courtesy James Stringer