Gordon’s Beef Tacos with Wasabi Mayo
Ingredients
2 beef sirloin steaks
Olive oil, for frying
6–8 small (14cm) corn tortillas, to serve
For the Marinade
2 tbsp light miso paste
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp olive
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Quick Pickled Cabbage
½ head of chinese cabbage, finely shredded
1–1½ tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
For the Wasabi Mayo
½ tsp wasabi, to taste
2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
Method
1. First prepare the marinade. Mix the miso paste, mirin, sugar and olive oil, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Season and add a tablespoon of water if the mixture needs loosening a little.
2. Leave the fat on the steaks to stop them drying out as you cook them. Season them well and fry in a hot oiled frying pan for 2–3 minutes on either side for rare/medium rare, or until cooked to your liking. (Shake the pan gently as you put the steaks in the pan to stop them sticking, otherwise they might burn.) Render the fat by tipping the steaks onto their sides and cooking until the fat is golden and crisp. Keep basting the steaks as you cook.
3. When the steaks are cooked, remove from the pan and cut off the remaining layer of fat. Place the steaks in the marinade, coating all sides. Leave to rest, spooning the marinade over now and again. This mix of Mexican and Japanese flavours – seared steak marinated in a rich, sweet sauce and wrapped in a taco (a toasted corn tortilla) – makes a really quick meaty feast. Normally, meat is marinated before cooking, but here you cook the steak and then let it cool in the marinade to absorb all that flavour. The steaks can be left to marinate for up to four days – the longer the better.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the quick pickled cabbage. Put the cabbage in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the rice vinegar, sesame oil and chilli flakes. Toss the mixture to coat, then leave to soften slightly for a couple of minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix together the wasabi and mayonnaise, taste and add a little more wasabi if you like a stronger flavour.
6. Heat the tortillas for 30–60 seconds over a naked gas flame until charred and lightly toasted (use a pan if you don’t have gas). Roll them around a rolling pin while they’re still hot, and hold until cooled to set in half-moon shapes. In this form they are called ‘tacos’.
7. Drain the beef of any excess marinade, then slice and place in the tacos. Top with the cabbage (drained of excess liquid) and a little wasabi mayo.
