Cast-Iron Sinta Steak Tacos
Salt-seared steak cubes tossed briefly in a reduced wine-and-stock spice glaze. One batch is intended as taco filling for 4 adults and 1 child; serve in warm tortillas with fresh toppings.
Instructions
Steps show original quantities. Use the adjusted ingredient list for your batch; times stay unchanged.
-
About 6 hours before serving, remove the 4 sinta steaks (about 700 g total) from their vacuum packs and pat them very dry.
-
Season the 700 g steaks evenly with 7 g salt over both sides and edges. Place uncovered on a rack over a tray, or on a plate, and refrigerate uncovered for about 5 to 6 hours.
-
When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the refrigerator. Blot any visible surface moisture. Do not add more salt or any spices. Rub the steaks with a very thin film of 1-2 tsp neutral high-heat oil total.
-
Scrape any tortilla or masa residue from the flat side of the cast-iron plancha. Heat it strongly over the large center burner.
-
Sear the steaks 2 at a time over the hottest central area. For steaks around 2-2.5 cm thick, sear the first side for about 2-2.5 minutes without moving, flip once, and sear the second side for about 1.5-2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Let the plancha recover for 30-60 seconds, then repeat with the remaining 2 steaks.
-
Rest each steak for 8-10 minutes before cutting. Preserve all juices accumulated on the resting plate and cutting board.
-
Cut each rested steak across the grain into roughly 1 cm-wide strips, then cut the strips into approximately 1 cm taco-size cubes.
-
For the second cooking, heat the 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, not hard-searing heat. If the skillet is dry, add about 1 tsp neutral high-heat oil.
-
Add:
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Stir in the fat for only 5-10 seconds, just until fragrant; do not allow the spices to darken or burn.
-
Immediately add 2 tbsp wine and 3 tbsp (45 ml) meat stock. Let the liquid bubble vigorously for about 20-30 seconds, reducing it before adding the beef. If it still looks like a lot of liquid, continue reducing before the steak goes in.
-
When only a thin layer of concentrated liquid remains across the skillet, add all the diced steak from the original 700 g batch plus all reserved resting and cutting-board juices. Spread and toss for only 20-30 seconds, just until the cubes are glossy and coated. Immediately transfer the meat out of the skillet so it does not continue cooking.
-
Taste one cube before considering additional salt; the steaks were already dry-brined with 7 g salt.
-
Serve the glazed steak cubes in warm tortillas with fresh taco toppings as desired.
Success cues
- Steaks have a strong browned crust from the plancha without burned spices.
- The rested steak remains juicy before the brief second cooking.
- The wine-stock mixture is reduced to a thin glaze before the diced steak is added.
- Finished 1 cm beef cubes are glossy and lightly coated rather than sitting in sauce.
- Paprika, cumin, coriander, and pepper smell fragrant, not scorched or bitter.
Scaling notes
Scale steak, dry-brining salt, and glaze ingredients proportionally by batch. One batch is intended for 4 adults and 1 child, not four equal servings. Adjust the 1–2 tsp searing oil and optional 1 tsp skillet oil by surface coverage. Keep the searing batches small and reduce the glaze before adding meat; timings depend on steak thickness rather than the batch multiplier.
Development notes
- One cook used only the four steaks, seared two at a time on the plancha, with the spice finish moved to the 14-inch skillet. No post-meal evaluation was reported, so this remains draft.
- The finishing-stock target was reduced from 4 tbsp to 3 tbsp (45 ml) to avoid a wet finish. Record actual thickness, doneness, and whether the brief glaze keeps the cubes juicy next time.