Steak and Egg Tacos Borrachos with Mezcal – Recipe

Steak and Egg Tacos Borrachos (Drunken Steak and Egg Tacos)
These steak and egg tacos with a delicious mezcal chipotle sauce are perfect for a boozy brunch! Makes enough for about 10 tacos

Ingredients:

Beef:
1 pound beef cecina (thin sliced beef)*
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground guajillo chile pepper
1 large clove garlic, crushed

Fried Plantain:
1 ripe plantain (peel should be yellow and black, with no green on stem)
Canola oil for frying

Mezcal-Chipotle sauce:
1/2 cup mezcal
2 tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo
3-4 tbsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp achiote (annatto) powder or paste
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1/2 lime

Toppings:
Cilantro, chopped
1 red jalapeno or red bell pepper thinly sliced
Lime slices
Avocado

1 dozen eggs
Corn tortillas

Method:
1. Coat beef with spices and garlic, rubbing to mix it evenly on beef slices. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile heat a generous layer (about 1/2 inch) of oil in a pan to medium high. Peel and slice the plantain into 1/4 inch slices. When oil is hot, place a single layer of plantains in oil and fry until golden on each side. Watch carefully as they can burn fast! Place on paper towel to drain.
3. Mix together the adobo sauce, water, achiote and sugar. Set aside. Put mezcal in a measuring cup.
4. Heat a non reactive pan with just a little canola oil to medium heat. Place the beef in a single layer (cook a few slices at a time) and heat on each side until brown. Set aside and continue until all the beef is cooked. Once it cools, slice into strips. Set aside, or in a bowl (you can quickly reheat in a microwave).
5. Meanwhile, once all the beef is cooked turn the pan to med-low heat and quickly pour in the mezcal, stirring to scrape the meat bits off the pan. Stir about 30 seconds, then add the adobo mixture and stir another minute or two. It should bubble and thicken. Add lime juice and stir again. Taste for sugar and add more as needed.
6.Remove from heat.In another pan, heat a thin layer of oil and either fry your eggs sunny side up or scramble. Set aside on a plate.
7. Heat the corn tortillas on a griddle or over an open flame (be careful here!), turning as they brown a bit (about 20 seconds on each side). Set aside on a plate.

Assemble:
Place some beef on a warm corn tortilla. Add a few pieces of plantain, some avocado slices and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro, pepper and a squeeze of lime. Top with an egg or put the egg on the side.

Enjoy!!

*note, if you buy cecina in the Mexican grocery store, it is typically already seasoned and salted! Ask the butcher if it is seasoned, and then do not add more salt, but add the garlic, guajillo and cumin.)

My go-to Mexican grocery stores:
Mercado Marimar
2102 S Park St, Madison, WI 53713
608-260-8928

Abarrotes El Primo
105 E Main St, Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-318-1246

La Rosita
6005 Monona Dr, Monona, WI 53716
608-221-2203

Recipe originally published in Brava Magazine, Dec 2018.