Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos

Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.

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Ingredients

1 (2-lb.) flank steak
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. ancho chile powder, divided*
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Flour tortillas, sour cream, fresh cilantro

*To make ancho chile powder: grind a dried chile in a coffee or spice grinder till it’s a fine powder.

Preparation

1. Place flank steak in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Stir together lime juice, next 2 ingredients, 1 Tbsp. cumin, 1 Tbsp. ancho chile powder, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in a small bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, and pour over flank steak. Seal bag, and turn to coat. Chill 1 to 12 hours.

2. Place oven rack about 6 inches from top of oven. Preheat oven to 450°. Rinse tomatillos, and cut into quarters. Stir together sweet potatoes, red onion, tomatillos, and remaining 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. ancho chile powder, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl. Spread sweet potato mixture in an even layer in a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined sheet pan.

3. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and move sweet potato mixture to outer edges of pan. Place flank steak in center of pan. Increase oven temperature to broil.

4. Broil 6 minutes. Turn steak over, and broil 6 minutes more. (Stir vegetables if they begin to char.) Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across the grain, and drizzle with pan drippings. Serve with sweet potato mixture, tortillas, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

From Southern Living, Jan. 2016