Carne Asada

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs flank steaks, trimmed of excess fat. can also use skirt steak
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 fresh cilantro leaves, large handful finely chopped
• salt
• pepper
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (you can also use olive oil, if desired.)
• 3 tablespoons oil, for coating the grill. (can also use olive oil, if desired.)
• salt
• pepper
• 16 corn tortillas (7-inch)
• shredded lettuce, for serving
• chopped onion, for serving
• shredded monterey jack cheese, for serving
• pico de gallo, recipe to post separately. alternatively, use your favorite
• 2 limes, cut into wedges for serving

Recipe

• 1 in a mortar and pestle or bowl mash together garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper to make a paste. transfer the paste to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and oil. shake to make sure that the marinade is well combined. (note: if marinating meat in a plastic bag you can transfer directly to the bag and mush to combine ingredients in the bag before adding meat.).
• 2 place steak in a plastic bag or other container of your choice for marinating. add the marinade making sure the meat is coated. refrigerate and allow to marinate for about 4 – 6 hours. (i don’t recommend marinating longer than that as the fibers of your meat will break down resulting in mushy meat.).
• 3 preheat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high flame. (you can also use a broiler if desired.) brush the grill or broiler plate with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking.
• 4 remove meat from marinade. discard marinade. season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. grill (or broil) the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. remove from heat and let rest on a cutting board for about 7 minutes.
• 5 meanwhile, warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill until pliable. remove to plate. cover to keep warm.
• 6 thinly slice meat diagonally across the grain.
• 7 to serve: stack 2 of the warm tortillas. place about 4 oz. of the beef in the center. add lettuce, onion and cheese as desired. top with a spoonful or two of the pico de gallo and garnish with a lime wedge. repeat with remaining tortillas.
• 8 ***note***: the marinade recipe for the steak will make about 1 ¼ cups and can be used for chicken, too. if not used as a marinade for meat it can also be used as a table-side condiment. never re-use marinade that has been in contact with raw meat as a condiment. you can become sick from the harmful bacteria.