Flank Steak Tostadas – a quick and easy weeknight meal featuring grilled flank steak, black beans and queso fresco. | foxeslovelemons.com

Do you guys remember what cooking was like before Al Gore invented the Internet? When, if you didn’t know how to cook something, you had to either reference the few cookbooks you had on hand, or call somebody who knew how to cook that item?
My mom and I have always been fans of tostadas (a.k.a. chalupas, at some restaurants). Crunchy, flat corn tortillas topped with whatever you want. Since we liked them so much at restaurants, we continually tried to make them at home when I was younger. We tried everything to get those tortillas crunchy – fried them to within an inch of their life, baked them, fried them and then baked them. They always turned out….OK. They were somewhat crunchy, but also still chewy, and not quite the same as the restaurant version we loved.

Fast forward 20 years, when my hubs and I decide we want to make tostadas. Now, a 5-second Google search reveals a foolproof method – spray the tortillas with nonstick cooking spray and then bake them. Of course, why didn’t we think of this before? It works like a charm, I tell ya. So, lets thank our lucky stars for the internet, and whip up these crunchy steak tostadas for a quick dinner this week (or even include these crunchy shells as part of a fajita bar with my shrimp fajita recipe). Crunch crunch crunch crunch.
Make these with flank steak or a flat iron steak on grill.
Flank Steak Tostadas – a quick and easy weeknight meal featuring grilled flank steak, black beans and queso fresco. | foxeslovelemons.com
Flank Steak Tostadas – a quick and easy weeknight meal featuring grilled flank steak, black beans and queso fresco. | foxeslovelemons.com

Flank Steak Tostadas

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 pound flank steak, marinated overnight using a half-batch of this Alton Brown recipe
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained (reserve 1-1/2 tablespoons liquid from can)
  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1 cup guacamole, prepared using your favorite recipe
  • Hot sauce
  • Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray; place on rimmed baking pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until very crispy, turning once.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak 8 to 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F for medium-rare, flipping once halfway through cooking. Transfer to plate; let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
  3. Place beans and their liquid, and jalapeños in food processor; process until smooth. Microwave bean mixture 60 seconds or until hot.

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