Steak Tacos Like a Pro: Simple Prep for Massive Flavor
Bavette Steak Tacos on the Komodo Kamado 38
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Introduction
Forget Flank: A Better Cut for Steak Tacos
Hey everybody, Jake here. Steak tacos and fajitas are some of my favorite things to cook, and over the last few years I've changed a couple of things about how I prep them. The biggest change is the cut of beef. Forget flank steak. This one is super tender, super beefy, and every bite is fantastic.
The Cut
I used a bavette steak, and I found it by accident two or three years ago. I went looking for outside skirt to make fajitas, the butcher didn't have any, and he told me to grab flap steak and thank him later. Bavette is the tail end of the flap. Compared to skirt or flank it's thicker, so it's a lot easier to cook, it has a lot of beef flavor, and it isn't as chewy. That's a triple win in my book.
If you can't find bavette, look for flap steak, which is far more common. You get a big piece, so you can make nachos, put it on a salad, have fajitas one day and tacos the next, and still have leftovers.
The Setup
I cooked on my Komodo Kamado 38 with about a half basket of lump. I was doing back to back videos, so you could get away with a light layer if you're only cooking this. It was Komodo's coffee lump, which they aren't making right now, but I enjoy the flavor.
This is direct grilling with the bottom grate in, and I was aiming for a dome temperature of 450°F. I opened the bottom vent about three to three and a half turns to get things going, then closed it to about a third open with the top at about two turns once the lump was burning.
The Prep
I took the steak out about 30 minutes ahead to temper it. If you let a steak sit on the counter for an hour or two before direct grilling, you avoid that thick gray line with just a little pink in the middle. For seasoning I kept it simple: Diamond Crystal kosher salt and pepper. If I were making fajitas, I'd add cumin or a lime marinade, but for tacos I wanted straight steak.
Salt timing matters. Get it on the grill within about 15 minutes of salting, or salt it an hour and a half to two hours ahead. Somewhere around 25 minutes, the salt pulls moisture to the surface and you end up steaming the steak instead of grilling it.
My one trick is ghee, or clarified butter, mixed with the steak seasoning from my tomahawk video (salt, pepper, garlic salt, parsley and a little cayenne). I use it to baste.
The Cook
This is the style I've been using for a couple of months, and it started with that tomahawk video: flip every minute. After the first minute, I brush on the butter with every flip. I put my Typhur Sync Gold Dual in the thickest part, and I use it as a straight thermometer.
Here's how it went. I cooked about a minute per side until it hit 70°F. Then I pushed the thin tail indirect and left the thick end over the coals until it reached 90°F. Then I moved the whole steak indirect for about three minutes, and it carried over from 90°F to 110°F. I put it back on for a minute per side until it hit 119°F, and pulled it. It rested for about 12 minutes.
Slicing and Serving
While the steak rested, I sautéed sliced onions in a cast iron pan on the grill with high temp oil and salt. Onions shrink more than you think, so I cooked the whole thing. When you're ready to slice, cut against the grain. I cut the steak in half since I didn't need long pieces, then sliced it on a bias. There was a little gray band at the edge and plenty of pink in the center.
I topped mine with sour cream and onions. Cheese would be great too.
Final Thoughts
If you want to upgrade your steak tacos or fajitas, give bavette or flap steak a try. It's thicker, so it's easier to cook, and it has more beef flavor. If you want to see the video that kicked off this flip every minute cooking style, check out my tomahawk video. It was the best tomahawk I've done in a very long time.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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