I was introduced to one of my all-time favorite foods, Carne Asada, translated from Spanish to “grilled meat,” back stage at a California rodeo. It’s there, beyond the arena, that the friends and families of competitors parked their campers and stock trailers and fired up their grills to create good food and friendship between events. The aroma of Carne Asada, along with grilled chicken, filled the air as we prepared condiments (pico de gallo or salsa, lime wedges, shredded lettuce, grilled onions and jalapeño peppers, grated cheese and sour cream) and warmed large flour tortillas to wrap everything in.
Carne also is a star at many backyard barbecues. A visit to my sister’s home in the Coachella Valley desert outside Palm Springs would not be complete without Carne on the grill out back, served up with homemade refried beans redolent of smoky bacon and an ice cold beer or glass of wine. Back home, we prepare it on the grill or stovetop, most recently on a chilly Saturday night as a cold front swept in. It was delicious despite the weather, a food tied to pleasant memories of good people and good times.
Out West, you can buy carne already marinating in onions, garlic, cumin and fresh cilantro in the butcher’s case. In this neck of the woods, unless you can find a good Mexican market, you have to prepare it from scratch, but it is very easy to do so:
Carne Asada
- 2 pounds of flank or skirt steak, trimmed of fat
1 recipe of mojo, or marinade:
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
- 1 large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 orange, juiced
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
Mix together.
- 16 tortillas
- Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce, for serving
- Chopped onions, for serving
- Shredded Jack cheese (or choice of cheese) for serving
- Pico de gallo or salsa
- Lime wedges
Lay the flank steak in a large baking dish, pour the mojo over it, wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours, but no longer, so the flavors can sink into the meat.
Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the meat for 7-10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium rare. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain on the diagonal.
Warm tortillas in foil until soft and pliable.
Place about four ounces of beef down the center of a tortilla and sprinkle with lettuce, onion and cheese, top each with pico de gallo and garnish with lime wedges and grilled jalapeños. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
About the Writer:
Rebecca Jackson is a veteran newspaper person/journalist based in Bedford County, VA. A native of California and an M.A. graduate of Arizona State University, she has a passion for pets (animals), good food/cooking, music, wine, horticulture, photography and travel.
