A Toasted Twist on Taco Tuesday

Ben and I love tacos… and I mean LOVE tacos. Whether it’s Tuesday, or Thursday, or Sunday, tacos have a fairly decent chance of being on the menu at the Beehive. We love trying new twists and flavor combinations for our tacos, and when we heard about tostadas, we had to give it a try.

Tostadas are oven-baked tortillas that are broiled just slightly to make them a little puffy and the edges crispy. Sprinkle some shredded cheese at the end for a melty, crispy, puffy, delicious goodness that brings your taco to the next level.

I’m a huge fan of chipotle flavor. There’s something about the smoky, spicy, complex flavor that makes my toes curl in the most delightful of ways. Paired with brown sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice… get outta here!!!!! Finding the right chipotle sauce can be hard and I’ve struggled with bottled varieties. They are either too spicy, too salty, too garlicky, etc. The best and purest flavor I’ve found for a base in my sauces in canned chipotle peppers in sauce. I freeze the canned peppers and spoon the sauce I need from the can. Works every time!

Orange Chipotle Flank Steak Tostadas

Queen Bee Meg

Make Taco Tuesday a little less ordinary with this simple but flavor packed tostada that's ready in 30 minutes or less. A tostada is a tortilla shell made slightly puffy and crispy from a quick bake under the broiler. Lime crema compliments the spicy/sweet orange-chipotle glaze, and the salty cotija cheese adds the perfect balance. You can't go wrong with this unique twist on a taco.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican, Southwestern

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb flank steak, cut in half (to cook faster in a pan)
• 1 TBSP Mexican seasoning, (I use McCormick's brand)
• 2 poblano peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
• 1 TBSP chipotle sauce (sauce from canned chipotle peppers in sauce or bottled variety, your choice)
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (juice from one large navel orange)
• 1 ½ TBSP brown sugar
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 lime, zested and cut into quarters
• 8 each flour tortillas
• ¼ cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup Cotija cheese, grated (or substitute Parmesan cheese if you can't find Cotija at the grocery store)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to broil at 450 degrees.
• Pat flank steak dry and season generously with salt, pepper, and Mexican seasoning on both sides.
• In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup water, chipotle sauce, orange juice, and brown sugar together.
• In another small bowl, mix sour cream, 1 teaspoon lime zest, and juice from half a lime. Add 1 teaspoon water to make crema a loose, drizzly consistency. Set aside for now.
• Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Allow pan to get hot before putting steak in pan. Allow it to sear without moving it around for 3-4 minutes per side. This will make it about medium rare (you will be able to cook it longer in a later step if you prefer more well done.) Remove meat to a plate. Do not wipe pan clean. (The more char left in the pan from searing the steak, the better.)
• Place steak under a foil tent to rest while you prepare the next few steps. After about five minutes, slice steak into strips.
• Add poblano peppers and red onion to pan. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add orange chipotle glaze and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium to simmer. Reduce until sauce turns into a thicker glaze. If you prefer more well-done steak, add steak strips at this point and toss frequently to ensure vegetables and meat are well coated. If you prefer rarer steak, add at the very end and simply toss to coat once or twice.
• While you are reducing the glaze, brush tortillas with olive oil and spread across a large sheet pan. Broil on middle rack for 5 minutes until slightly puffy and crispy.
• Remove tortillas and sprinkle with shredded Mexican cheese. Put back in oven for 2-3 minutes just to melt the cheese.
• To plate: place several strips of steak with peppers and onions onto a tostada. Spoon extra pan sauce over tostada if desired. Drizzle lime crema and sprinkle with cotija cheese. Serve two tostadas per person.

Notes

Cotija cheese is often referred to as Mexican Parmesan, but is slightly creamier than its Italian counterpart. If you’re ever in a pinch, you can easily substitute Parmesan for Cotija and still get the same effect. 

Keyword 30 min or less, Spicy, Steak, Tacos