flank steak WITH ELOTE SALSA

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise

1 lime

2 teaspoons taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade (see page 20)

Kosher salt

1½ to 2 pounds flank steak

4 ears corn, shucked

½ small red onion

½ bunch cilantro, plus more if needed for serving

2 ounces Cotija or brine-packed feta cheese

Directions

1. Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high (400° to 450°F).

2. Place the mayonnaise in a large bowl. Halve the lime and squeeze in

the juice. Add the taco seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to

combine. Transfer half this mixture to a medium bowl.

3. Add the steak and corn to the mayo mixture that's left in the large bowl —yes, it's okay for them to touch. Toss to coat well. Sprinkle with

4. Transfer the steak and the corn to the grill. Grill the steak for 5 minutes, then flip it and grill for about 5 minutes longer, until the meat reaches 130°F internally for medium-rare, 140°F for medium, or 150°F for medium-well. Grill the corn, rotating it as it cooks to grill all sides, for about 9 minutes total.

5. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and the cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 1 cup) and add them to the mayo mixture. Crumble the Cotija into the bowl.

6. Transfer the corn and steak to a cutting board. Let the steak rest while you slice the corn off the cob (see Learn) and add it to the bowl with the mayo mixture. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning (you'll likely need to add a big pinch of salt!).

7. Slice the steak against the grain, arrange it on a serving platter, and serve with the elote salsa over top. Finish with more cilantro if you're feeling fancy.

Notes

tip No grill? Use a cast-iron skillet instead. Cook the corn first over medium heat (make sure the skillet is piping hot first!), then crank the heat up to medium-high and cook the steak.

learn To slice the corn kernels off of the cob, lay the corn on its side-don't stand it up on its end-and run a sharp knife along the length of the cob. Now those kernels will fall neatly onto your cutting board instead of flying all over the place. • If you look closely at a steak, you can see the muscle fibers; they're the lines running through the meat like tiny ropes. When you slice steak "against the grain," you're cutting across those fibers, not parallel to them. This makes the steak more tender and much easier to chew.

shortcut Use a bag of frozen corn instead of grilling and cutting kernels off the cob. Warm a little oil in a skillet over high heat until it shimmers, add the corn, and cook until it's charred in spots. You can even stir the rest of the elote salsa ingredients straight into the skillet off the heat to save on dishes!

bulk it up if you're extra hungry, cut some planks of zucchini or yellow squash or another veg that you love, lightly coat with neutral oil, season with salt and pepper, and throw them on the grill, too. • Add a finely chopped red bell pepper and avocado to the elote salsa mixture for some more veg and more color.

extra extra For deeper flavor, let the steak and corn marinate in the mayo mixture for a few hours or

even overnight (in the fridge if more than an hour-ish!).