Name: Watercress and Flank Steak Thai-Inspired Tacos
Yield: Serves 4 (makes 8 tacos)
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh, tender green herbs (watercress and cilantro, plus mint, chives, basil); 2 tablespoons safflower oil; 2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar; ¼ cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts; 1 pound beef flank steak; ½ teaspoon salt; ⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots; 8 (6-inch) homemade corn tortillas, warmed; ½ cucumber, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 2 tablespoons canned Thai red curry paste (such as Mae Ploy); 1 small, ripe tomato, seeded and chopped; ½ bunch watercress, large stems discarded; 1 cup cilantro with the stems (loosely packed); 1 large clove garlic, sliced; Zest and juice of 1 lime; 1 to 2 red Thai bird chilies, finely chopped with or without seeds (adjust according to your spice tolerance)

Preparation info

Serves
4
(makes 8 tacos)

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Tacos A-Z

By Ivy Manning

Published 2023

About

This recipe is inspired by an awesome steak and fresh herb salad I learned to make with Chef Sompon Nabnian at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School. The hot, salty, sour, sweet “salsa” features peppery watercress, Thai bird chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar, which play off the savory flavor of tender grilled flank steak and fistfuls of fresh herbs.

Be sure to buy plenty of fresh herbs to stuff the tacos—they’re not just a garnish, but a key part of the meal, and part of