Thai Beef Tacos with Lime Cilantro Slaw Recipe

Tacos with a Southeast Asian Sensibility

Here's an Asian version of the humble taco that doesn't taste like anything you get at the Bell (or the Cabana). There's neither beans nor cheese; instead it's seasoned with southeast Asian flavors like ginger and fish sauce. If you're in a hurry, you can use the packaged versions of slaw and carrots in the recipe, or you could be more hand-on and pull out your mandoline to shred your own carrots and cabbage.

Ingredients

MEAT
1 Tbsp sugar
1½  tsp ginger, peeled and minced
1½ tsp fish sauce
½ tsp chili-garlic sauce (we use a brand called Lee Kum, though Sriracha will work in a pinch)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb flank steak, trimmed of fat


Slaw

¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1½  tsp ginger, peeled and minced 1½ tsp fish sauce ½ tsp chili-garlic sauce (see note) 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups packaged angel hair slaw or shredded cabbage 2 cups packaged matchstick carrots ¼ cup green onions, sliced ½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

cooking spray
8 six-inch flour tortillas, low- or non-fat

Preparation

Marinate the meat: Combine the first six ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a big zip-top plastic bag. Add the steak to the bag and squeeze to coat it completely, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least twenty minutes. Occasionally turn the bag to coat meat.

Prepare a grill or broiler (we usually use a George Foreman grill).

Remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade. Place the meat on a grill rack or broiler pan that's been coated with cooking spray. Cook for five minutes on a side or until the meat is done to taste. Remove meat from heat and let stand for five minutes. Cut the meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Prepare the slaw: Combine the first seven ingredients (lime juice to garlic cloves) in a large bowl, stir well to dissolve sugar. Add the remaining ingredients (slaw, carrots, onion, cilantro) and toss the mixture to work the coating throughout..

Divide the meat evenly among the eight tortillas. Top each tortilla with about ½ cup of the slaw mixture. Fold the tortilla in half and serve immediately.

Makes eight tacos.

Nutritional Value 

One taco, as analyzed at Calorie Count

Calories: 236, from fat: 62
Total fat: 6.9g, saturated fat: 3g, trans fat: 0
Cholesterol: 31mg
Sodium 532mg, Potassium 377mg
Total carbohydrates 25.5g, fiber 3.1g, sugars 6.3g
Protein 18.9g
% of RDA: vitamin A 7%, Vitamin C 31%, Calcium 5%, Iron 13%

Original recipe from Cooking Light Magazine.