Carne Asada
Carne Asada refers to grilled meat. There are countless types of marinades that you can make for this dish. Carne asada varies quite a bit from region to region in Mexico,so it's really just personal preference. Lime juice or sour orange juice(which isn't easily available in my hood) are typically used in the marinade. The acidity of citrus is a natural tenderizer to meat. Some people will use beer in their marinade. I used some soy sauce for a little saltiness, along with garlic and onion, because they're my favorite aromatics to use in everything. When picking out meat, I recommend using either flank or skirt steak. They both take marinades well and are already fairly thin cuts, allowing them to cook faster. Top sirloin is a good substitute that's still inexpensive. If you want more of a higher end cut, ribeye or NY strip will work great. Make sure they are no more than 3/4" thick.Carne Asada is traditionally grilled over wood or charcoal. Grilling this way will give it a nice char and smokey flavor. The steak will take about 6 minutes a side for medium rare. If you don't have a grill like myself, you can prepare it on a grill pan on your stove top or under the broiler like I did. The steak will take 8 minutes a side for medium rare. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Slice the steak against the grain, thinly.I turned my carne asada into tacos with a homemade Serrano pepper hot sauce, real Mexican sour cream, and my cilantro/onion/green onion mix.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak or skirt steak top sirloin, ribeye, ny strip will also work
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- juice of a lime
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 medium onion sliced
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- There are a couple of options you can use for the beef. Flank steak or skirt steak are great options. They are already fairly thin cuts that absorb marinade well and take minimal time to cook. Top sirloin, ribeye, NY strip, flat iron, and hangar steaks are all acceptable substitutes. I am using a flank steak.
- Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, onion, and black pepper together.
- Pour the marinade over the meat. Let the flank marinate for a couple of hours. Overnight is even better.
- There are a couple different ways you can cook this. A charcoal grill works the best and gives it the best flavor. You can cook this on a grill pan on the stove top. I decided to use my broiler. Regardless of how you cook the meat, let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat your broiler for a good 10 minutes. Set your oven rack 6 inches away. Put the flank on a rack on a foil covered baking sheet. Broil the flank steak for 8 minutes a side. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Once the flank is done resting, slice it thin against the grain.
- Carne Asada can be served with some beans and rice with some avocado. Or you can turn it into tacos like I did with; topped off with homemade Serrano pepper hot sauce, real Mexican sour cream, and cilantro/onion/green onion mix.
