I know I’m in the majority of the population when I say this, but I’m not the biggest taco fan. I KNOW, I KNOW. A crime. But, they just tend to be so messy and I always overstuff them, or they fall apart, or just…something! Pretty much the only tacos I like are from Taco Billy or White Duck, both in Asheville. Rarely do we make tacos at home.
But for some reason, I suggested these for dinner last week. And they were actuallly….pretty dang good!! I’ve never cooked with flank steak before but it was on sale at the grocery store at a steal, $5/lb for local, grass-fed flank steak!
Grass-fed beef tends to be a bit more nutrient dense and has a better fat profile compared to conventionally raised beef, thanks to their diets! Grass-fed cattle get to eat….grass, where as conventional eat the corn feed they are fed. This influences the meat we eat from them, which should come as no surprise. So, should you fear red meat? No! I do suggest, if possible, trying to get your hands on some grass-fed varieties though. Thankfully we are starting to see them crop up a little more!
We paired the tacos with what I’m calling refried beans. But quite honestly I don’t even know if they’re technically refried — I’ve never looked up a recipe for refried beans, so who knows! I like the sense of mystery haha. Regardless, they were delicious and a cinch to make!
And of course you could make your own pico de gallo, but I have no shame in taking the easy route đ
If you make these Flank Steak Tacos and Refried Beans, let me know!!
Flank Steak Tacos and Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb grass fed flank steak
- 3-4 limes
- 1 can pinto beans
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 avocado
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo (I used premade)
- 1/4 small red onion, diced
- tortillas of choice (we used Siete Foods brand)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add grass-fed flank steak to a large bowl with juice of 2-3 limes, zest of one lime, and the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Let marinate on the counter for 30 minutes.
- While steak marinates, start cooking the beans. Add the whole can of pinto beans (including liquid) to a pot with some water (~1/4 cup), minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, pepper and lime juice and cook over medium heat. As the beans soften, mash them up a bit with a fork and continued to cook until most of the liquid is absorbed to your preference.
- When steak is done marinating, heat avocado oil in a cast iron skillet. Once hot, add flank steak and sear for ~2 min on both sides before throwing in the oven at 350F for 5 min to finish cooking. Remove from oven, let it sit for 1-2 min, then slice into thin strips.
- Serve the steak in tortillas and top with diced red onion, diced avocado, chopped cherry tomatoes, and pico de gallo. Serve with a side of refried beans. We added in a simple, big salad of butter lettuce, shredded carrots and diced red onion to round out the meal!
