50 Women Game Changers in Food - Week 48

This week at number 48 of the 50 Women Game Changers in Food we have Cat Cora.  Not only is she an Iron Chef, has published several cookbooks, is Executive Chef for Bon Appétit magazine, is developing her own talk show, owns two restaurants, is a mother of FOUR,  but is also a great humanitarian.

Picking just one of her recipes was hard.  She had many that I really thought my family would enjoy.  However, this one not only sounded appealing for my boys, the combination of spices with pineapple had me drooling. Mine were more like fajitas than tacos because I used flour tortillas instead of corn, just because I know my family prefers them.  I am happy to announce the results were fabulous!  My husband could not stop raving about the taste of the steak,  the boys really enjoyed them, and my daughter and her hubby said they were a keeper! Can't top that!!

Grilled Chili-Lime Flank Steak Soft Tacos

Courtesy of ABC Good Morning America 

Chile powder and lime give an inexpensive cut of meat a lot of flavor. Then, when you spoon up a tangy, colorful pineapple salsa next to these soft tacos, you have a delicious dinner with style and flair. Every part of this meal can be done on the grill, but I've given you a stovetop/oven option as well.

You can brown the pineapple slabs on the grill or leave the fruit on the grill until one side of the pineapple is truly black, 4 to 5 minutes. I prefer the charred look and love how it tastes in the salsa, but taste and see what you like.

The pineapple needs a few minutes to cool when you take it off the grill, so you might want to grill the fruit first and use the time while it's cooling to cut up the remaining vegetables for the salsa. This recipe makes a lot of salsa, but it's good to have on hand in your fridge for a few days, ready to liven up simple quesadillas.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon pure chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat

16 6-inch corn tortillas

For Pineapple salsa

1 small pineapple (3-3 1/2 pounds)

1 small red onion, diced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and minced

Cooking Directions

For the marinade: In a small bowl, mix the spices, salt, pepper, lime juice, and oil to make a paste. Place the steak in a shallow dish and rub the paste evenly over both sides. Cover and let marinate for 1 to 4 hours.

For the salsa: Light a charcoal grill about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Slice off the leafy top of the pineapple and just enough of the bottom so the fruit rests flat on a cutting board. Slice off the skin with a sharp knife, cutting from top to bottom and taking off as little of the flesh as possible, rotating the pineapple as you go. Discard the skin. Cut out any "eyes" with a paring knife and discard. Slice the fruit away from the core in 4 or 5 slabs.

Place the pineapple slabs on the hot grill and grill until the fruit is just beginning to show some browning, 1 to 2 minutes per side, 4 to 5 minutes per side if you want it charred.

Let the pineapple cool for a few minutes, then dice. In a medium bowl, mix the diced pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and chile and blend well.

To cook the steak: Grill the steak for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or slightly longer for well-done meat. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, place the tortillas on the hot grill and grill for 10 seconds on each side, then wrap in a cloth napkin to keep them warm.

Slice the steak across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Place the tortillas and the bowl of salsa on the table and serve family-style.

Cat's note: The steak and pineapple can be cooked in an oiled ridged grill pan on top of the stove and the tortillas can be wrapped in foil and heated in a 350°F oven.

For more recipes by Cat Cora, please visit:

Val - More Than Burnt Toast 

Joanne - Eats Well With Others 

Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed 

Susan - The Spice Garden 

Heather - girlichef 

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney 

Jeanette - Healthy Living 

Mary - One Perfect Bite 

Kathleen -Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen

Sue - The View from Great Island

Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds

Amy - Beloved Green

Jeanette - Healthy Living

Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again 

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits

Martha - Lines from Linderhof 

Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook

Alyce - More Time at The Table 

Martha - Simple Nourished Living

Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Jill - Saucy Cooks

Sarah  - Everything in the Kitchen Sink