Grilling at Night: After Dark Steak Tacos

It’s easy to lose track of time when we’re having a good time. That’s why when we’re camping, we usually don’t get dinner together until after the sun goes down! Cooking in the dark can definitely be a challenge, however with the right equipment and the right recipe you can still enjoy a great meal that’s quick to prepare. For this recipe, we’re making steak tacos with grilled corn salsa.

To reduce the amount of cookware, we used BioLite’s FirePit. If you don’t want to clean a bunch of pots and pans at the end of the night, grilling is a great option. Getting a fire started and burning it down to usable embers can take up to an hour, so we opt to use lump charcoal instead. It’s hot and ready to cook over within 15 minutes, which can mean the difference between serving dinner at 7 pm rather than 8 pm.

Once the final bit of light fades from the sky, we switched on our BioLite HeadLamps. While lanterns and string lights are nice for setting the mood, nothing beats the directional light of a headlamp when cooking. Especially when you’re doing knife work, having ample lighting right where you need it key. To get our salsa started while the grill heats up, we chopped up cherry tomatoes, red onion, and a jalapeño.

For these tacos, we used flank steak. We love grilling flank steak because it’s loaded with flavor despite being relatively thin. Just a few minutes on each side and it’s done. Before we got started, we gave our steak a quick dry rub with some taco seasoning. The taco seasoning we have contains salt, but if yours doesn’t then you’ll want to add some.

Once the coals were ready to cook, we started grilling two ears of corn on the cob. We love the taste of blackened corn, so we put them on straight without the husk or foil. The corn will need more time to cook than the steak, so get it on there as soon as possible. Once the corn is charred all over, take it off, sheer off the kernels with a knife and add them to the other salsa ingredients. Add in some lime juice, cilantro, and salt and it’s ready to serve.

The steak only takes a few minutes per side to grill, but once you take it off it’s important to let it rest for at least 10 minutes. (This is a good time to work on the salsa steps above). Slice it thin and then chop it into small bite size pieces.

Toasting your tortillas is an optional step, but adds a lot to the texture. While some will insist on using corn tortillas, wheat tortillas might be a better option for camping because they’re don’t get hard as quickly after they’ve been cooked.

The sun had gone down completely once we got this meal ready, but in the end, it didn’t matter. When you’re sitting next to a campfire with a plate full of tacos, honestly, there’s not much to complain about.

Watch This Recipe in Action

Flank Steak Tacos with Grilled Corn Salsa

Ingredients (Serves two)

For the Steak:

• 1/2 Pound Flank Steak
• 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
• Optional: Salt, if your seasoning mix doesn't include it.

For the Salsa:

• 2 Ears Corn, Husks Removed
• 1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Halved or Quartered
• 1 Jalapeno, De-Seeded and Minced
• 1/4 Red Onion, Minced
• 1/2 Lime, Juiced
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
• For the Tacos
• Tortillas of Choice
• Cheese
• Additional Toppings as Desired

Steps 

1. Start your coals, if you're using lump charcoal (our choice for this recipe), you'll need about 15 minutes lead time.
2. Meanwhile, rub the steak down on both sides with the taco seasoning and chop the tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro.
3. Once the charcoal is ready (it will be covered in grey ash), place the corn on one side of the grill and the steak on the other. Cook the steak for 4-5 minutes per side (for medium rare), then remove to a plate and cover. Rest for about 10 minutes. Rotate the corn every few minutes until it’s cooked through, 15-20 minutes total. Remove from the grill.
4. If desired, heat the tortillas on the grill, flipping every 10 seconds until warmed through.
5. While the steak is resting, cut the corn off the cob and add to a bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients: tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
6. Slice the steak into bite-sized pieces.
7. To build your tacos, divide the steak between the tortillas, layer on the salsa, and add cheese and any additional toppings. Enjoy!

 For more recipes like this, visit the recipe section of our blog.

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