Carne Asada
Juicy, tender authentic carne asada! Made with the most flavorful easy marinade, marinating overnight. Cooks so fast on the grill or stovetop!
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ pounds flank steak
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine steak and remaining cilantro mixture; marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the steak from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to high heat. Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add steak to grill, and cook, flipping once, until desired doneness, about 3-6 minutes per side, reaching an internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium-rare. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with reserved 1/2 cup cilantro mixture.
Notes
- Use a hot cast iron grill pan. When opting to cook indoors, a heavy bottom pan, such as a cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet, retains heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking, a better sear and smoky, caramelized flavors.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor. The soy sauce will also add flavor, saltiness and umami to the marinade.
- Freshly squeezed orange and lime juice is best. While bottled orange and lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Avoid marinating for too long. The high acid content from the orange and lime juices can break down the muscle fibers if marinated for too long, making the meat mushy. Marinate the steak 4 hours to overnight, ideally overnight (about 8 hours).
- Scorching hot and fast is the way to go. Carne asada should cook hot and fast. Preheat the grill to high heat, about 450°F, searing 3-5 minutes until charred and crusted, reaching an internal temperature of 125-130°F for medium-rare. Anything past medium (140°F) will be dry.
- Let your meat rest. Let your meat rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Slice against the grain. Always slice perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers - this will shorten muscle fibers, leaving you with more tender (less chewy) pieces of meat.
- Dice for tacos. Once sliced against the grain, cut the steak crosswise into smaller cubes for tacos (or burritos!).
- Double the sauce. Need extra sauce for tacos or burrito bowls? The sauce portion can easily be doubled or tripled for those saucy folks!