Carne Asada

It never really crossed my mind that I could make my own carne asada marinade. I always went to Vallarta and picked up a pound of their marinated carne asada and it was always good. But now, after discovering a marinade from my favorite blogger, For the Love of Cooking, I never have to go to Vallarta again! This marinade made the best tasting carne asada ever, and the best part of it was that it was so simple to make! I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry and all I really needed to do was to marinate it the night before. It had so much flavor and the meat was so tender and juicy. In short, it was just melt-in-your mouth delicious!

Carne Asada (adapted from For the Love of Cooking):

Yields 3-4 servings

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs flank steak
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine all ingredients. Add the flank steak and marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight would be ideal).

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Remove the beef from the marinade and grill until charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness (or to desired doneness but in my opinion, a little bit of pink is the only way to go).

Remove from grill and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch thick slices. (Resting allows the juices to move back into the meat.)