In celebration of Cinco de Mayo this year, try making these elk tacos with a grilled white corn salsa served on lightly fried corn tortillas. I grilled the corn direct on the barbeque, removed the kernels and combined with some fresh salsa ingredients. I also added a jigger of Patron to the salsa to continue with the celebratory theme. ~Enjoy!
Grilled Corn Salsa
- 3 ears of white corn
- 6 radishes
- 1 serrano chili
- 3 green onions
- 1 small red onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 tomato
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 jigger tequila (optional)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Remove outer husks from corn but not all. Pull back and remove all silk from the corn. Close the remaining husks back and soak in water for 10-15 minutes.
Heat barbeque to medium-high heat. Remove corn from water and grill for 15-20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. When done, remove and let corn cool. Remove kernels from cob using a sharp knife.
Finely mince radishes, serrano chili (discard seeds for less heat), onion and garlic clove. Combine with coarsely chopped cilantro and tomato. Squeeze the juice from 1 lime and add rice wine vinegar and tequila. Add corn kernels to salsa and season with salt and pepper.
Elk Tacos
Combine 1 teaspoon of each of the following spices. Rub spice mixture on elk, cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 1 hour before cooking. Remove from refrigerator and let meat come to room temperature prior to cooking.
- Elk Backstrap (2 – 5 inch wide steaks)
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- 6-8 Corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Heat cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and sear meat on all sides until you get a rich dark coloring. Remove elk from skillet, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice elk backstrap into thin slices being sure to cut against the grain.
Serve sliced elk in a warm corn tortilla and top off with a generous portion of grilled corn salsa. Garnish with sour cream, cheese or nothing at all! Enjoy and Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Yum