Tomorrow is Tuesday, so dinner calls for TACOS! Taco Tuesday is something my family can always get behind. It satisfies my husbands Mexican craving and it is such an easy meal to adapt for the kiddos. This recipe has a lot of names- Street Tacos, Carne Asada, Steak tacos, Taco bus tacos, but at our house there is only one name I need to say and everyone knows what I am talking about- REAL Tacos.
The Rancher lived in Mexico, near Tijuana, for a couple of years and fell in love with ALL Mexican food and all the things that makes Mexican food so good. Things like freshly squeezed lime juice, avocado, pico de gallo, and cilantro. These are some of the critical things that make these tacos REAL tacos. But the kicker is the beef. A flank steak, thinly sliced and marinated with lime juice, cilantro, and jalapeno with a little seasoning, flame grilled for just a few minutes on each side and it is SO GOOD! Its so good that you don’t even have to have it on a Tuesday.
Just a few tips when you make this delish dish. I have seen some grocery stores that carry a cut of meat called carne asada that is made just for sort a thing. It is thinly sliced and ready for the marinade. But you could also grab a flank steak and do the cutting yourself. If this is the case, when I say thin, I mean super thin. Like 1/8″ thin. Between the thin slices and the great grain, you have tender bites perfect for a taco! It will be a little easier to cut thin if it is a little frozen and if you start in the center of your steak and cut towards the ends.
When it comes time to grill your carne asada, you are going to want a hot grill. The idea is that you are only going to grill it for a few minutes on each side so you want a good sear on the outside without losing the juices in the middle. Salting the meat, even just a little, will help keep the juices from dripping out as it cooks. Let the meat rest for a few minutes and then cut it up across the grain for the best tacos your Tuesday has ever seen!
Carne Asada
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup olive oil
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1-1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 lb flank or skirt steak
Instructions
- Cut steak into 1/8" thin slices and place in glass baking dish. In a separate bowl. mix together all other ingredients. Pour over steak and make sure that all sides are well coated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat grill up to high heat. Place steak on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill, wrap in tinfoil and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices against the grain.
- Serve tacos on your favorite tortillas- corn, white, or homemade! Top with pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, queso or your favorite taco Tuesday fixins!