Carne Asada

Carrrrrrne asada! Do you remember that Superbowl ad with the two lions? For months after that aired I couldn’t say “carne” without rolling the rrrrrrs.

Clever of whatever ad agency came up with that campaign to feature two king carnivores talking about carne asada, which translates literally as “beef grilled”.

Carne asada is the thinly sliced, grilled beef served so often in tacos and burritos. You can also serve it straight up, with rice and beans on the side.

Although almost any cut of beef can be butterflied into thin sheets for the carne asada, typically you make it with either flank steak or skirt steak.

Flank steak is a lean cut and needs to be cooked rare, and thinly cut across the grain to make it tender. Skirt steak is well marbled with fat, and while it still needs to be cut across the grain, it’s inherently more flavorful and tender, and can be cooked more without suffering.
You can make carne asada without a marinade, and just a bit of salt and pepper before grilling, but if you have the time, a good soak in a marinade greatly enhances the flavor.
The marinade we are using here has olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, a little sugar for sweetness to balance the acidity of the lime and vinegar, and lots of minced garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Perfect for tacos!
Serve it up with tortillas, avocados and salsa.

Carne Asada Recipe

If you don't have a grill you can use a well-seasoned grill pan or a large cast iron pan on the stove-top. Heat on high to sear and then lower the heat to finish cooking. Make sure to use your stove vent, searing the steak this way can smoke up the kitchen!
If you want, before adding the steak to the marinade, reserve a couple tablespoons of the marinade to drizzle over the finished carne asada to serve.

Ingredients

Steak:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank or skirt steak


• Olive oil


• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil


• 1/4 cup soy sauce


• 2 limes, juiced (about 2 Tbsp)


• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar


• 2 Tbsp sugar


• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed (if have whole, toast and then grind)


• 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 teaspoons)


• 1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced


• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems!), about 1/2 cup

Fixings (optional):

• Chopped avocado


• Lime wedges


• Corn or flour tortillas


• Thinly sliced radishes


• Thinly sliced lettuce


• Pico de gallo salsa

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