Chili Cilantro Marinated Beef should be the star of your Cinco de Mayo taco bar

A quick run to the store, a group text to a few friends and you have yourself a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo. Mexican cuisine is so fun to cook and enjoy.

Who you invite to your Cinco de Mayo party is up to you. What to serve is easy: Chili Cilantro Marinated Beef to make tacos. I’ll give you all the fun condiment recipes for your fiesta next week. The main event is your meat because you need to marinate it, and you can do it the day before if you like. Oh, and here’s the best margarita recipe I’ve found. Forewarning: It’s very strong. But every great fiesta includes a good tequila beverage.

These recipes come from my cookbook, “Social — Holidays and Happy Hours” and are included in the Cinco de Mayo section. The book is organized by menu and intended to help people cook and entertain — which is quite ironic since it launched in the middle of a pandemic.

The marinade for this chili cilantro beef is best prepared in a blender. After salting the meat, cover it with the fresh marinade and let it chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Grill the beef on high heat for a few minutes on each side, then let rest for five minutes. Serve with warmed tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

We attended our first dinner party a couple of weekends ago at some friends’ home, and it was so delightful. Our little foster daughter, “L,” had the time of her life playing with this friend’s chickens and dancing to the music of guitars playing. It was one of the best nights of the past year, for sure. There’s some sort of magic that happens when someone invites you to their home for a party.

*Social Holidays and Happy Hours

This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Chili Cilantro Marinated Beef should be the star of your Cinco de Mayo taco bar."