
1/2 cup Water
1 tablespoon Sugar
3 Whole cloves
1 Bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, dried, plus another 1/2 teaspoon
1 1/4 teaspoon Dried red pepper flakes, divided
1 Red onion, thinly sliced
2 pounds Skirt steak
3/4 cup Olive oil
1 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped, lightly-packed plus more for serving
1 cup Parsley leaves, chopped, lightly-packed
3 cloves Garlic, minced
16-18 Corn tortillas
1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
To make the pickled onions, combine the red wine vinegar, water, sugar, cloves, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the red onion slices. Let the mixture come back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and set aside to cool completely, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
When you’re ready to cook the steak, strain out the onions from the vinegar mixture and reserve ½ cup of their juice. Combine it with the olive oil, cilantro, parsley, garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. In a ziplock bag or large bowl, toss it well with the steak. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or covered in the refrigerator overnight.
Turn your grill to medium-high heat and cook the steak for 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping only once (the steak should pull cleanly from the grill grates when ready to flip). Remove from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
Set each tortilla directly over a burner (or directly on the grill) on medium-high heat and toast for 1 or 2 minutes per side, until lightly charred. Fill them with steak and garnish with cotija cheese, some of the pickled onions, and cilantro.
Try these steak tacos made with skirt steak marinated in a fresh chimichurri sauce from chef Aaron Sanchez.
Prep Time: 30 minutes + 30 minutes marinating
Cook Time: 20 minutes