Spicy Flank Steak Tacos with Watermelon Salsa

When I first spotted this recipe in the August issue of Cooking Light, I knew I wanted to make it. I have never used watermelon in a savory recipe before and it sounded like a perfect summer dinner! This recipe comes together in no time (and is really simple to make), making it a great weeknight meal option.

The rub on the steak is only four ingredients: salt, black pepper, white pepper, and red (cayenne) pepper. If you don’t have white pepper you can just substitute in more black pepper. But each pepper does bring it’s own taste to the rub.

Black and white pepper comes from the same pepper plant but white peppercorns have the outer layer removed, leaving the seed inside. White pepper has a more subtle flavor than black pepper. Red pepper, or cayenne pepper, is ground from hot peppers so it has a nice level of heat to it. The three together add a nice spiciness to the steak without being overwhelming.

I altered this recipe a little bit but the general idea is there. If you’re interested in seeing the original version, check it out here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 green onions, roots trimmed
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh watermelon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, white pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine.

Score the steak with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern on both sides about a 1/4 inch deep (I went completely through in a couple of spots and it was still fine).

Lightly coat steak with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle steak evenly with pepper mixture.

Arrange steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Let stand 5 minutes; cut steak into bite size pieces.

Add the green onions to the grill. Grill 3 minutes or until slightly charred and tender. Add the tortillas and grill for 1 minute on each side or until lightly charred.

Combine watermelon, mint, juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, jalapeno, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Arrange onions down the center of each tortilla.

Divide steak, salsa, and cheese evenly among tortillas.

The steak was juicy and flavorful and the salsa was a perfect balance! Next time I make this, I would roughly chop the green onions and add them to the tortilla chopped because they were a bit difficult to eat this way. The feta cheese brought a nice creaminess to the dish as well that was really nice. I substituted in a jalapeno instead of the original recipe’s suggestion for a serrano chile so the heat in the salsa was really minimal. If you want a bit of a kick, go for the serrano instead.

This was definitely a very flavorful recipe for little effort. I had some salsa left over and had it on its own the next day and it was absolutely delicious!