Superbowl Eats: L.A. Rams edition

Two things come to mind when you think about Los Angeles. It is home to some of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry, and it is a city made up of transplants from all across the country and around the world. The same can be said about the year's version of the L.A. Rams. The team parted ways with Jared Goff, the quarterback who led them to their 2018 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. He was replaced by Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who always put up big numbers for the Detroit Lions but had no playoff wins to show for it. Stafford joined superstar defender Aaron Donald and playmaker Cooper Kupp on a team that soon added Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller from the Denver Broncos and flashy wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. formerly from the Cleveland Browns. It took a few games for all these new pieces to come together and gel, but when they did, they marched through the playoffs, defeating divisional rivals and last year's Superbowl winner along the way. It would be fitting for fans of this superteam to enjoy food that captures the spirit of the city the team is based in, and to me, that would mean a carne asada taco from one of L.A.'s native sons, actor Danny Trejo, with a recipe from his "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A." cookbook. They say the biggest stars come out on the biggest stage. This will be the second year in a row that a team that will play the Super Bowl will play in their home stadium - let's see if the Rams can deliver the Hollywood ending their fans want to see.

Ingredients

1.36 kg flank, flap, or skirt steak
12 medium tomatillos (about 680 g), papery skin removed, tomatillos left whole
12 six-inch tortillas
6 garlic cloves
3 chipotle chiles from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 30 g of the sauce
2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges
2 medium-sized jalapeños, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeño, left whole
1 large white onion, roughly chopped
180 mL orange juice (preferably fresh)
120 mL pure olive oil
60 mL soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime, plus extra to taste
145 g shredded green cabbage
15 g kosher salt, plus extra to taste
15 g ground cumin
15 g smoked paprika
12 g roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine half the chopped onion, the chipotles, and sauce, the chopped jalapeños, the garlic cloves, eight grams of cilantro, the orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, and paprika in a food processor or blender and puree. Transfer the marinade to a large self-seal plastic bag or airtight container. Add the meat and turn to coat it in the marinade, then seal the container you are using. Refrigerate and marinate overnight or for at least 30 minutes.
2. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bag or bowl. Place the steak on a platter and set it aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steak until it is charred, about 5 minutes. Turn it over and grill until charred on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it crosswise and against the grain.
3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it is very hot, about 4 minutes. Add the whole tomatillos and jalapeños - they should sizzle when they hit the dry hot pan. Cook until the vegetables are black and blistered in spots and soft on one side, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Use tongs to turn the tomatillos and jalapeños over, then add the remaining garlic cloves. Cook the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic until the tomatillos and jalapeños are blistered and the garlic cloves are toasted but not burned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic to a blender or food processor and add the cilantro, lime juice, salt, and half the remaining onion. Process until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste and add more salt, onion, or lime juice if desired. You now have fresh salsa verde.
6. Preheat the oven to 121°C. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they're fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes. Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly-line-style, on your work surface.
7. In a medium bowl, mix the shredded cabbage with 60 g of the salsa verde. Chill before serving, or refrigerate in it an airtight container for up to 5 days.
8. Divide the meat among the tortillas, placing it in a straight line down the center of each tortilla. Place a line of the cabbage mixture to the right of the steak. Serve a lime wedge with each taco.