Citrus-Chilli Marinated Grilled Steak with Charred Spring Onions and Guacamole
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats, America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
A citrus-and-chilli marinated skirt or flank steak, grilled hot and fast then sliced thin, served Mexican-style with warm tortillas, charred spring onions and chunky guacamole. It's a quick, high-heat dish best eaten straight away while everything is warm.
Based on the listed ingredients, none of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check product labels.
Method
- 1
Soak and blend the chillies. Cover the dried chillies with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes until soft and pliable, then drain. Soaking first means they blend into a smooth paste instead of leaving tough flecks of skin. Tip into the blender with the orange juice, lime juice, oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, 1 tsp salt and the pepper, and blend until smooth.
- 2
Marinate the steak. Put the steak in the bag or dish, pour over the marinade and turn to coat completely, then refrigerate for 2-8 hours. Over this time the citrus juice and salt work into the surface, seasoning the meat deeply and helping to soften the outer fibres of this leaner cut.
- 3
Heat the grill. Heat the barbecue to high, or set a cast-iron griddle pan over high heat until it's smoking hot. A very hot surface is what gives this steak its characteristic char in such a short cooking time, so don't rush getting it properly hot.
- 4
Grill the steak. Lift the steak from the marinade and discard the liquid, then wipe off the excess and pat it dry before rubbing with the oil, since a dry surface sears far better than a wet one. Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, cutting it into pieces to fit the pan if needed, until a thermometer pushed into the thickest part reads 63°C.
- 5
Rest and char the extras. Move the steak to the board, cover loosely with foil and rest for at least 5 minutes so the juices settle back through the meat instead of running out as soon as it's sliced. While it rests, grill the spring onions and jalapeños for 4-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred and tender.
- 6
Make the guacamole. Mash the avocado with the lime juice, onion, coriander and 1/4 tsp salt until it's chunky rather than smooth. A rougher mash gives the guacamole more texture against the sliced steak.
- 7
Warm tortillas and serve. Warm the tortillas on the grill for about 20 seconds per side, then wrap them in foil to keep them soft. Slice the steak thinly against the grain, which shortens the muscle fibres and makes it easier to chew, and serve with the tortillas, guacamole, charred spring onions and jalapeños, and lime wedges.
Storage
Cool any leftover steak quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 3 days. Reheat gently only until piping hot (74°C) throughout, as reheating can easily overcook this cut and make it dry.
Why this label?
42.3 g protein for 636 kcal = 6.7 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 27% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 2.9 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
- Source of fibre: 1.7 g fibre per 100 kcal (needs ≥ 1.5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 187 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
2.8 g per serving
5.6 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 11.2 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- small heatproof bowl
- blender
- large zip-lock bag or shallow dish
- barbecue or large cast-iron griddle pan
- tongs
- instant-read thermometer
- chopping board and sharp knife
- foil
- medium bowl and fork
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 636 kcal |
| Protein | 42.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.6 g |
| of which sugars | 5.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.8 g |
| Fat | 35.4 g |
| of which saturates | 7.7 g |
| Fibre | 10.7 g |
| Salt | 2.15 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.7 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
