Spicy Steak Tacos

One of the benefits of living in Seattle is the Pikes Place Market, right on Puget Sound. This is famous for fresh everything from fish to flowers. South of the fish mongers there is Mick's. This is a dangerous place with the most spicy hot pepper jams in a vast array. They can be used as a foil for many foods. Here they bring some zing to steak and cabbage, all the while taming young tannins in the wine. Taste some of the jam with a cracker and cream cheese first, though, so you can judge your pain threshold. Sincerely this is a great match with a very young Cabernet Franc.

For the Steak which is BBQ'd:

2 pounds flank steak, trimmed clean of any fat, and about 1 1/2 inch thick
2 T jalapeno pepper jam
3 T canola oil
3 T soy sauce
1 T toasted sesame oil
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 large garlic cloves, minced
1 t ground coriander

For the Tacos:

1/2 head (about 3 cups) Napa cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, cut into 2 inch long matchsticks
8 green onions, all parts thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 cup fresh cilantro springs
twelve 6- inch tortillas, we prefer corn

Marinate steak: In a large baking dish, whisk together the pepper jam, canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro, garlic, and coriander to blend well. Set aside 1/3 cup of the mixture in a small bowl for serving and put in the fridge. Place steak in remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, turning occasionally. Bring your grill temperature to medium-high.

Remove steak and bowl of reserved marinade from the refrigerator. Remove steak from the marinade (discard this marinade). Let meat rest at room temperature approximately 30 minutes so it is not refrigerator cold. Finish preparing the taco filling while you wait, see below. Grill about 5 minutes per side over direct heat, turning halfway through cooking, for medium-rare. Thermometers are a useful item. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes. Then with a very sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain very thinly. Taco filling: in a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro together. Taco shell: while meat is resting after grilling, warm taco shells briefly on grill, turning once. Fill warm taco shells with meat and veggies, top with more marinade. Drink Cab Franc.