Rick Bayless Taco Tuesday: Bistec Encebollado

Rick Bayless adapts a Mexican classic for the home kitchen. Get the recipe: http://www.rickbayless.com/bistec-encebollado-a-mexican-classic-adapted-for-taco-tuesday

xxxxxxxxxx

Bistec encebollado is an ideal weeknight taco preparation, one that turns a couple of common ingredients—beef and onions—into a satisfying meal.

But you need to get the right kind of meat.

What’s called bistec in the Mexican markets is typically thinly cut from the round, meaning it can be seared quickly and then chopped. You never notice that it’s not the most tender steak you’ve ever tasted: it’s seared for great flavor and then cut up before you pack it into a tortilla. You can usually find something similar at your butcher shop or grocery store called “breakfast steak” or “sandwich steak” or “minute steak."

Another option, which I’ve chosen for the video demo, is inner skirt steak. Inner skirt steak is the less-tender, more-common skirt steak option (outer skirt is the more tender, more steak-like, more expensive one). Inner skirt steak is what you most commonly find at Mexican butcher counters called arrachera; it is often butterflied to make it thinner and faster cooking. For me, skirt always tastes beefier than anything called bistec.

Now, you can sear a piece of butterflied inner skirt steak like you would bistec, but it’ll turn out a little chewy. So, to ensure tenderness, I’m simply simmering a piece of inner skirt steak until it’s tender, chopping it up and browning it to delicious effect.

You’ll have to start the simmering 45 minutes to an hour before you make dinner, but there’s no tending. If you don’t have that kind of time, just buy one of the thin-cut steaks and go straight to the browning step, then cut up the meat and mix it with the caramelized onions, a mess of melted cheese (that’s my addition) and a splash of hot sauce. It’s a classic Mexican taco. I hope it becomes one of your favorites.

Видео Rick Bayless Taco Tuesday: Bistec Encebollado канала Rick Bayless