One of my favorite parts of visiting Mexico was wandering through the markets with the sights, smells and tastes of amazing food at every turn. Abuelas teaching grandchildren how to make homemade tortillas and tlayudas, produce in every imaginable color and carne asada sizzling away on the grill to be immediately served as a taco with a squeeze of lime and a dash of salsa. It’s these memories that come flooding back whenever I’m craving tacos and I absolutely love making carne asada. This citrusy, spicy carne asada couldn’t be easier to make at home.
What kind of meat to use for carne asada?
Carne asada is typically made with flank steak or skirt steak though I also think hanger steak is a great option. All of these cuts are wide, flat cuts of beef and are often used in recipes interchangeably. These cuts are best when cooked to medium-rare to medium and thinly sliced across the grain.
How to Make Carne Asada
There are as many versions of carne asada as there are cooks making it. Citrus (typically lime and orange) is used to tenderize the meat in addition to flavor, and most recipes also have garlic, jalapeno or some other fresh pepper, and lots of fresh cilantro. I included all of these in my marinade as well as a bit of ground cumin (one of my favorite spices)for some smokiness. Mix all of these together with some olive oil, salt and pepper in a gallon bag or flat dish; add your meat and toss this in the fridge for a few hours to let all of these ingredients work their magic.
After the marinade and the beef have had a chance to become friends it’s time to hit the grill. Whether you’re using an outdoor grill or a cast iron grill pan you want to preheat your grilling vessel to medium high heat. 5-7 minutes on each side (depending on the level of doneness you like, remember cuts like flank or skirt steak are best cooked to medium-rare to medium), a few minutes of rest on the cutting board and thinly slice against the grain and you are ready to build your perfect taco. I like to keep thing simple; a corn tortilla, a drizzle of salsa ( this roasted tomato salsa with green onions is fab) and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro is all I need.
If you make this Carne Asada please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making!
Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 orange, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1.5 pounds flank steak or similar cut
Instructions
- Combine lime and orange juice, garlic, jalapeno, salt, pepper,olive oil and cilantro in a resealable gallon bag or flat baking dish. Add steak and make sure the entire surface of the steak is covered by the marinade. Let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side to get your carne asada to a medium doneness.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut across the grain and serve as desired.
Notes
- Serve on corn tortillas with your choice of salsas, lime wedges,pickled onions, shredded cabbage or cheese.
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