“Make It Snappy” is presented by Goldfish Swim School of Chapel Hill. With recipes that only take 45 minutes or less to prepare, Christy helps you stay afloat at dinner time! 


It’s baseball season at my house which means lots of little league and tee ball games and practices. My kids (and Coach Daddy) always come home hungry, so I need quick, healthy, filling meals that I know they’re going to love.

Mexican food is a guaranteed hit at my house, and I love coming up with new ways to serve the standard classics – quickly! This Chili Lime Steak with Mexican Street Corn Relish was an instant favorite. We enjoyed it so much that we made it twice in one week! The beef and corn relish can be served alone or atop rice bowls, salads or tacos. The corn relish also works quite well as a side dish on its own!

Our grocery store shortcut this month is pre-sliced steak from the butcher’s counter or the refrigerated meat case. You may find sliced sirloin, skirt or flank steak and either one works well, you just want to be sure the beef is not TOO thinly sliced as the paper-thin cut won’t be sturdy enough. I often see sirloin slices marked as “pan fry” or “stir fry” cut and I’ve had great luck with these as they cook incredibly quickly. Of course, you may also buy your favorite steak and slice it against the grain to about ¼” thick.

Chili Lime or “Tajin” seasoning is all the rage right now and you can find it in the bottled spice section of most grocery stores. I often encourage you to skip the shortcut and make ingredients from scratch if you have the time, but this is one that’s worth purchasing premade. I don’t have the time to dehydrate limes and, if you’re reading this column, you probably don’t either!

Mexican Street Corn or “Elote” is another dish that’s become quite popular over the last few years. Here, we’re simply taking it off the cob and serving as a topping or side dish. Cotija cheese is fairly easy to find, but if you need to, a simple swap would be feta cheese. They have similar textures and salty, tangy flavors. I used frozen corn for the relish, but you are more than welcome to choose a canned option or cook fresh corn on the grill, which is the traditional method of preparation for Elote. A “fire roasted” canned option will also have great flavor and fun grill marks to look a bit more authentic.

This dish is so versatile you can cook it once and serve it twice! One day as a salad, the next as a taco platter. This a great option for celebrating Cinco de Mayo at home!


CHILI LIME STEAK WITH MEXICAN STREET CORN RELISH

By: Christy Bray Graves

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Chili Lime Steak

  • 1 – 1.5 lb. sliced steak (approx. ¼” thick)*
  • 1 TBSP chili lime seasoning
  • Juice from ½ lime

For the Mexican Street Corn Relish

  • 2 cups corn kernels (12-16 oz. of frozen or canned kernels)
  • 1 TBSP sour cream
  • 1 TBSP mayonnaise
  • Juice and zest from ½ lime
  • ¼ tsp chili lime seasoning
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 TBSP chopped cilantro
  • 2 TBSP crumbled cotija cheese**

To Garnish

  • Lime zest
  • Chili lime seasoning
  • Sliced avocado
  • Cotija crumbles
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Guacamole
  • Lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a shallow dish, coat the steak strips in the chili lime seasoning and lime juice. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the corn relish.
  2. Heat the corn according to package directions.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, prepare the dressing for the relish by stirring together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, chili lime seasoning and garlic powder.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, pour the dressing over the warm corn kernels and toss to combine. Add as much dressing as you’d like to reach your desired creamy consistency.
  5. To the corn mixture, gently stir in the chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. Set aside.
  6. Spray a flat griddle pan or large frying pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. Working in batches, add the steak strips to the pan and allow to cook for one minute on each side or until the steak reaches your desired doneness.
  7. Serve steak with corn relish alone, in a rice bowl, over salad or on tacos. Garnish as desired and enjoy!

NOTES

*Grocery stores offer sirloin, flank and skirt steak pre-sliced. You may look for beef strips labeled “pan fry” or “stir fry.” Be sure that pre-cut the steak is not paper-thin!

**If you can’t find cotija cheese, a good substitute is feta cheese as it’s similar in texture and salty, tangy flavor.


As a wife and mom of three young boys, I often consider myself a master “chaos coordinator.” Between running our family business, Chapel Hill Toffee, managing our household and balancing busy schedules, I love to create quick and simple recipes that I know my family will enjoy – and my kids will actually eat!

My recipes are more of a guide than a perfect plan. I will always encourage you to use what you have on hand and make substitutions to suit your tastes. I invite you to share your own ideas, questions and final products with us on Facebook  and on Instagram by tagging @christybgraves and @wchlchapelboro.


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