Backstrap and Street Corn Tacos

It’s hard to go wrong with venison tacos. And it’s hard to go wrong with Mexican street corn, or elote. This recipe combines creamy, spicy street corn with seasoned backstrap in a taco you won’t soon forget. The best part? Everything cooks on a griddle for minimal cleanup when you are done. It’s perfect for a camp lunch or dinner.

Street corn pairs perfectly with seared backstrap for these griddle tacos.

You can use your choice of frozen or fresh off the cob corn. Since it isn’t corn season here right now, I just went with frozen. Cotija cheese can be found at most large grocery stores or Mexican markets. Use your choice of flour or corn tortillas.

Sear the backstrap to medium rare, then dice it for the tacos.

I prefer to season and sear my backstrap in one section for this recipe. Let it rest a few minutes, then cut it into small pieces for the tacos. You can go ahead and cut it before cooking, but you don’t get that nice charred surface and medium-rare interior the way you do when you cook it whole. Measure the ingredients before you cook to speed the process.

Measure the ingredients before cooking so you don’t have to run back and forth to the kitchen.

Use your favorite Mexican or Southwestern seasoning blend. I went with the Pitgrit Fiesta blend on both the meat and the corn. Season the meat well with 1 ½ tablespoons of the seasoning blend and let it rest while you prep the corn. Preheat your griddle (or a large skillet), melt the butter, and add the corn and diced onion.

Add the corn and red onion to the griddle.

On the other side of the griddle, add the backstrap. Sear the backstrap for 3-4 minutes per side, then rotate a quarter turn and repeat until all four sides are seared and the center reads about 125 degrees on a digital thermometer. Once it hits temperature, move the backstrap to a cutting board to rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes.

While the backstrap cooks, stir the corn on the griddle until the corn is heated through and the onions have started to soften. Add remaining seasoning blend, cheese, mayo or crema, and lime juice. Turn off the heat and stir to combine everything.

Cook the onion and corn, then add the seasoning, cheese, and mayo or crema.

Dice the meat into ½-inch cubes. To assemble, fill a warm tortilla with backstrap, then top with elote. Add chopped cilantro and additional lime juice, if desired. Serve with hot sauce or taco sauce.