Dinner for Two
20121126FiletPickledOnionTacos.jpg

[Photograph: Kerry Saretsky]

The perfect punching-above-its-weight weeknight dinner for two. Warm corn tortillas stuffed with Filet mignon, rubbed in spices, seared, and sliced rare. Quick home-pickled red onion. Cilantro. Lime. Queso fresco. A little bit of cooking. A little bit of assembly. A lot of joy.

About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: serves 2
Active time: 10 mintues
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 small beef tenderloin steaks, about 4 ounces each
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable, canola, or olive oil
  • 10 small (4 1/2 inches) corn tortillas, warmed according to these instructions
  • 1 cup diced or grated queso fresco or cotija
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems
  • 1 lime, cut in small wedges

Procedures

  1. Season the filet steaks with cumin, chili powders, and salt. Set aside. Place red onion, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Heat oil in a small cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add steaks and cook without moving until well browned, about, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook second side until brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak and serve with warmed tortillas, onions, cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.