Terrific Man Tacos...Carne Asada Style

Well, here they are everyone:  TERRIFIC MAN TACOS!!!  YAY!!  I believe Eddie would be proud of me!  They turned out really good, if I do say so myself (which I just did).  I will admit that the tacos Eddie made were a tad bit better then mine, but I chalk that up to this being my first shot at them. (In case someone is just now joining this journey and you have no clue who Eddie is or what the heck terrific man tacos are...check out my post regarding our trip to Oklahoma here. )

The last thing Eddie said to me regarding these tacos was that the mango salsa is what made them over the top good.  I would have to agree.  I made my salsa a bit differently then Eddie's, but the main components are the same.  I got a really nice, ripe mango (no, Andrea, it wasn't wrinkled, but it was WAY soft) which was lusciously sweet and juicy.  I did mangle the hell out of it trying to cut it, but that's ok...I can honestly say it was my first time cutting a mango and I think I did pretty well!

So, how did these tasty little treats get their name?  Well, long story short...the Canterbury brothers were having a discussion...what they were discussing really isn't important....so let's just say they were having some manly man talk and Josh (the youngest of the 4) made the comment..."I'm a terrific man"...and well, that statement just sort of stuck.  Soon, everything became "terrific man" something or other.  Hence, terrific man tacos!  It's always good to know the origin of what you are about to put in your mouth!

I made these tacos carne asada style...when Eddie made them, he used chicken.  You can use any meat you want...or do it the "Dolores" way and keep it vegetarian style.  No matter how you build them, you must do these on the grill.  I think a charcoal grill would work the best as the fire is much hotter and it's more direct in more places.  My tacos did not get as much color as Eddie's, but they were still nice and crispy. I normally am not a fan of corn tortillas, but when you grill them they get this wonderful "fried" texture that you completely forget what you are eating.

This recipe might look daunting, there are a lot of steps, but I promise you, it's well worth it.  So, go ahead, add these to your labor day grill out, you will not be disappointed!

Terrific Man Tacos
Adapted from Eddie Canterbury
This recipe makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:

Marinade-

2 Tablespoons Tequila

2 Tablespoons oil

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the tacos- 

1/2 lbs Flat Iron steak

8 small corn tortillas

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup refried beans with chili and lime (just depends on how much you like refried beans)

1 avocado, sliced

queso fresco cheese (about 2-4 oz)

shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used about 1/2 cup or more, just depends on how cheesy you want them)

Mango Salsa-
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1-2 Tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Cilantro (how much you use is up to you)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 mango, cut into chunks (here's a how to in case you are like me and have never cut one before!)
salt and pepper


Directions:
Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  Place the steak in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

While the steak is marinating, make the salsa.  Mix all ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Leave in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat your grill to medium.  Remove steak from bag and discard marinade.  Cook for 4-8 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice into thin strips.

To assemble the tacos:  Brush each tortilla with oil on both sides.  Spread refried beans onto tortilla.

Place two (or more if you want) slices of avocado on one half of the tortilla.

Place steak on top of the avocado.

 

Crumble queso fresco cheese over the steak.

Now cover the whole tortilla with the shredded cheese.  Do not fold at this time, leave them flat.

Set your grill to medium high.  Place the tortillas directly on the grill grates and let cook for a minutes or two.  When the tortilla becomes flexible, carefully fold up the cheese only side of the tortilla to create your taco (I used tongs and a spatula to do this).  Continue to cook the tacos, turning at least once, until browned and crispy.  Remove from grill and serve with mango salsa....ENJOY!