Soft Tortillas with Grilled Spiced Sirloin, Lime Slaw Salad, Ale and Onion Jam

6 Medium

Prep 20min Cook 30min

This recipe for Tortillas with Grilled Spiced Sirloin, Lime Slaw Salad, Ale and Onion Jam is a fantastic way to enjoy really good quality meat in Mexican style.

I love these quick recipes that are inexpensive and fun to put together. So pick up the best quality you can buy and afford. I usually have cabbages in my fridge so I love to throw together coleslaw, but feel free to use what salad vegetables you have. The ale jam was something I made off the cuff, and is a perfect accompaniment to a dish like this. If you can’t find a dark ale beer you can use half apple juice and half red wine vinegar. Use this to accompany cheese, meats, on sandwiches, stirred through pasta, wherever you want a bit of a tang, sweetness and that beautiful caramelised onion flavour.

Tortilla Ingredients

6 x Small Corn or wheat tortillas
2 x 200g waygu sirloin steaks, A good pinch salt
1/4 tsp. course ground pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
Olive oil

Slaw Salad Ingredients

1/4 head green cabbage, cored
1/4 head red cabbage, cored
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup coriander leaves and stalks roughly chopped
1/2 lime, juiced (the remainder of the lime you can slice and serve with the beef)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Onion Jam Ingredients

1kg onions
3 garlic cloves
60g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
80g brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaf
Pinch of chilli flakes
300ml dark ale
140ml red wine vinegar
80ml maple syrup

Substitute Ingredients

Tenderloin steak for the waygu
Fish, chicken or a vegetarian substitute for steak
Golden syrup for the maple syrup

Recipe Steps

For the sirloin

Combine the salt, pepper and the cumin seeds in a grinder and crush. Sprinkle this over the steaks and then rub in a small amount of oil.

Heat a frypan over moderate heat and sear off the steaks for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks to a plate and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes covered with foil.

Meanwhile

Shred the cabbages and the carrot using a mandolin, food processor or with a knife. Toss them together and then mix with the coriander and the combined lime juice, olive oil and seasoning. Set the salad aside.

For the ale and onion jam

Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic.

makes about 2 cups.

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the stock and bay leaves and whisk in the salt and saffron. Bring to the boil and, while stirring, add the rice. Reduce the heat to low- medium and simmer, continuing to stir the rice until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is al dente. This will take about 20–30 minutes.

Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes and salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated; they’re really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Pour in the ale, vinegar and maple syrup and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds and the syrup has thickened. Cool in the pot before using.

To serve, slice the meat thinly across the steaks and lay it onto the tortillas, top with the dressed salad and some of the onion jam. Garnish with more coriander and a squeeze of lime.