The malty flavors of a lager tend to soothe the heat from spicy Mexican food, but even more importantly, beer tenderizes meat for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The fruity yeast esters and crisp citrus flavors from the beer are a sure hit with this dish—and almost any south-of-the-border fare!
Active preparation time: 45 minutes
Total time: 5 hours
Makes: 3–6 tacos
Pickled Onion
1 large red onion, julienned
3 cup (24 fl oz/710 ml) red wine vinegar
2 cup granulated sugar
In small nonreactive pot, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and cool. Once cool, strain and reserve for the steak tacos.
Steak Tacos
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) soy sauce
2 bottles/cans (24 fl oz/710 ml) Ska Mexican Logger
4–8 oz (113–227 g) steak
3–6 flour tortillas
1 oz (28 g) arugula
1–2 oz (28–59 g) pickled onion
1 oz (28 g) cotija cheese
In a deep dish that can accommodate the steak, combine the garlic, shallots, soy sauce, and beer. Submerge the steak in the mixture and marinate for 3–4 hours. Remove the steak from the marinade and grill to your desired degree of doneness. Slice the steak into strips and serve with warm tortillas, arugula, pickled onions, and cotija cheese.
Beer Suggestions: Pair with the remaining Ska Brewing Mexican Logger (Durango, Colorado). Others to try include Deep Ellum Brewing Neato Bandito (Dallas, Texas) and 21st Amendment Brewery El Sully (San Francisco, California).