Mexican Barbecue and *TOP SECRET* Steak Marinade

This recipe is really easy, and can be made entirely on the grill. If you like steak and green chiles, you'll love it! There are a couple ways you can make the steaks, depending on how thick you want your slices and how many people you are serving.

You can take a shortcut from the grocery store butcher, and have a boneless rump roast sliced super thin. In our grocery store, we ask for "asada" style. If your butcher isn't familiar with that, ask for very thin, like sandwich thin.

We usually eat a lot of Mexican BBQ when London Broils are on sale. I marinate them, grill them, slice what we need for that meal, then freeze the rest already cooked.

I'm about to release a very valuable secret family recipe. This recipe is for the best steak marinade known to man. It will tenderize any steak; it's been known to turn a round steak into filet mignon. The marinade is so secret, you don't even have to write it down. Seriously, it's so simple (only two ingredients) that you don't have to write it down!

Steak Marinade
Can of Coke (yep, that's right....Coca Cola)
Can of El Pato (the tomato sauce in the yellow can)

That's all folks! If you've ever dropped a penny in a can of coke, then pulled it out the next day, you've seen the disintigrating power of the stuff. It breaks down the proteins in the steak so that you can almost cut it with a fork after marinating over night. The El Pato adds a great flavor. It doesn't lend its spiciness overwhelmingly, but the acid in the tomato sauce counteracts the sweetness of the Coke. I actually don't recommend marinating thinner steaks overnight in it. It just turns into mush. I would only do it for a maximum of 6 hours.

Back to the Mexican BBQ. You can use flour tortillas or corn, whatever you prefer. If you use corn, you should butter one side of it (and grill butter-side-down). I highly recommend using fresh roasted green chiles (or even frozen fresh ones). You can use canned whole chiles, but they're just not as good. As far as cheese goes, anything goes. We've used colby-jack, Mexican blend, pepper-jack, and gouda. They're all good. This recipe is so versatile, which makes it easier and pleases just about everyone.

Everything cooks so quickly on the grill, that it is essential to have everything prepared and ready to go on the grill. The meat is best to go first. It can rest under a foil tent when done, while grilling the chiles and tortillas.

Mexican BBQ (recipe for 4-6 people)
2 pounds boneless rump roast, sliced very thin, or London Broil
4-6 large whole green chiles
18 corn or small flour tortillas
1/2 pound shredded or sliced cheese
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Marinate steak (if using sliced steak, only need to marinate for 30 minutes or so) then season with Montreal Steak seasoning or other favorite steak seasoning. On a large tray or baking sheet, lay out several tortillas (don't forget to butter one side of the corn tortillas) and spread cheese on half of each tortilla (like a half-moon). On another plate, drizzle olive oil on chiles then season chiles with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Preheat grill to 300 degrees. Grill steak over medium-low heat until desired done-ness. Remove from grill or place on warming rack. Place chiles and tortillas on the grill (butter side down, cheese side up of course). Turn chiles after just a minute. Remove from grill when cheese is melted and bubbly and chiles have grill lines and are hot. Place one whole chile and at least one slice of steak on half of each tortilla, then fold the other side over (like a taco).

These are a meal by themselves. However, if you want a little side dish, ghetto corn is always good (see previous post), or some pinto beans with green chiles, onions and bacon, or some rice with corn, peas, diced carrots, and diced green chiles. You get the idea.....anything with chiles is good!