Have you ever seen that term ”carne asade” on a menu or in the grocery store and wondered what it really means. In Mexican cuisine it literally means ‘grilled meat’ and is a marinated beef steak of some kind. The meat can be served alone or in a variety of other ways including burritos, tacos or in this case, fajitas. In this flavorful Carne Asade recipe from Canada Beef the type of steak used is a skirt steak.
If you do not know much about skirt steak, it is a boneless cut of beef that is known more for its flavor instead of its tenderness. It can be a bit of a trickier cut of meat to cook than others if you do not know a few skirt steak know-how’s. Start by turning your skirt steak over and checking to see if there is a membrane attached. If there is, peel it away and toss it. The main secret to a good skirt steak is making sure you cut it against the grain. If you slice a skirt steak with the grain it will be very tough.
This recipe makes the mos
t of the flavorful skirt steak by adding some great marinade to amplify the flavor. You can add the marinade in the morning and let it marinade all day or toss it in just an hour before dinner. It makes for a quick easy dinner that includes your meat and veggies all in one meal.
| 4 | cloves garlic, minced |
| 2 | limes, juiced |
| ¼ cup (50 mL) | olive oil |
| 2 tbsp (30 mL) | vinegar |
| 1 tsp (5 mL) | ground cumin |
| ½ tsp (2 mL) | EACH chipolte chili powder and granulated sugar |
| 1 | handful fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil, oregano and/or parsley, minced |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) | Skirt Marinating Steak |
| Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper | |
| Fresh Tomato Salsa (recipe follows) |
- Combine garlic, lime juice, oil, vinegar,cumin, chili powder, sugar and herbs in large resealable freezer bag. Pierce steak all over with fork; place into bag and refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours.
- Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towel; discard marinade. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Cook steak on lightly oiled grill over medium heat (400°F/200°C); close lid and cook, turning occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness.
- Remove to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand about 5 minutes before carving into thin slices across the grain. Serve with Fresh Tomato Salsa.
- Fresh Tomato Salsa: In medium bowl, combine 2 medium tomatoes, (seeded and diced), 1 small avocado (diced), 1/2 onion (minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and diced), juice from 1 lime, 2 tbsp olive oil and handful of fresh herbs such as oregano, basil and/or cilantro (chopped). Season with some granulated sugar, salt and pepper to taste.