This recipe was inspired by the absolute legend, James from @grillnation. I met him out in Nashville a few months ago, and we’ve been in touch ever since. The guy’s a BBQ genius—up there with the greats. When he dropped his Elote Taco recipe, I knew I had to give it a whirl. Of course, I tweaked it a bit to match my style (and because mayo and I are not mates).
The result? A primal, smoky, and downright filthy-good taco. We’re talking reverse-seared Tomahawk steak, dirty-seared straight on the coals, paired with buttery, cheesy grilled elote (sans mayo) and all tucked into warm tortillas. It’s BBQ bliss with a street-food twist. Let’s get into it.
Dirty-Seared Tomahawk Elote Tacos
Ingredients
For the Tomahawk:
For the Elote (No Mayo):
For Assembly:
Instructions
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Dry Brine the Tomahawk
- Generously coat the Tomahawk with kosher salt on all sides.
- Place it uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) to let the salt work its magic—enhancing flavour and setting up for that killer crust.
-
Reverse Sear on the Kamado Joe
- Fire up the Kamado Joe for indirect heat at 110-120°C.
- Add the oak wood chunks for that deep, smoky flavour.
- Place the Tomahawk on the indirect side, and insert the Ninja ProChef thermometer to monitor the internal temp.
- Smoke until the steak hits 49°C (120°F) internally—this’ll take about 90 minutes.
-
Grilled Elote (No Mayo) in the Ninja Woodfire
- While the steak is smoking, grill your corn in the Ninja Woodfire over medium-high heat.
- Rotate until the kernels are charred and golden (around 10-12 minutes).
- Let the corn cool slightly before cutting off the kernels.
- In a bowl, mix the corn with sour cream, melted butter, coriander, feta, lime juice & zest, and smoked paprika. Toss until it’s all coated and glorious.
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Dirty Sear – Straight on the Coals
- Once the steak hits 49°C, pull it off and rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove the grates from the Kamado Joe and rake the coals into an even, fiery layer.
- Place the Tomahawk directly onto the hot coals. Sear for 30-45 seconds per side, flipping until it reaches 53°C (127°F) internal temp.
- Rest the steak again for 10 minutes—the carryover heat will bring it to a perfect 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare.
-
Warm the Tortillas
Fire up the Ninja Woodfire again and warm the tortillas (~10 seconds per side) until soft and pliable.
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Assemble the Tacos
- Slice the Tomahawk thinly against the grain—get those juicy, pink slices on show.
- Load up each tortilla with beefy goodness.
- Top with a generous heap of the elote mix.
- Hit it with a squeeze of lime, and serve with extra wedges on the side.
Equipment
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Note
Not a fan of dirty searing? You can finish the steak on a cast-iron pan or over high heat on the grill grates, but trust me, the direct-on-coal sear gives it primal vibes you just can't beat.
Elote Variations: Want heat? Throw in some diced jalapeños or a pinch of chilli flakes into the elote mix.
Leftovers? Unlikely—but if you’ve got any steak left, it makes killer steak and eggs the next morning.
