I was reading a recipe I had posted months ago on making Telera Bread and how it is the bread for tortas. Thinking about tortas made me think about the various kinds of torta fillings and that made me think about carne asada. Then I realized that it’s stupidly easy to make so, I thought I’d share how to make it here.

What kind of meat should I use for Carne Asada?

Flank and skirt steak are the most suggested cuts to use if you look at recipes on the Internet. But frankly, you can use any cut if it’s thinly sliced. In the image above, I used thinly sliced top round or sirloin that I got from a Mexican butcher. But, if I had my druthers, I’d use skirt steak all the time. Unfortunately, that cut has become expensive as it has gained in popularity over the years. It used to be considered a cheap cut and could be had for the same price per pound as top or bottom round. That said, if you go to a Mexican market, look for arrachera. Sometimes you can get it for a reasonable price. Oh well… Let’s get into the recipe, shall we?

Citrus is the key!

The base of a Carne Asada marinade is citrus, which comes from the juices of orange, lime, and lemon. Some recipes call for the juice from one orange, one lime, and one lemon (1:1:1). But after a lot of trial and error, I prefer a tangier marinade, so I use a 1:2:2 ratio of orange, lime, and lemon. For two pounds of meat, you’d use one orange, two limes, and two lemons. You’d double this amount for every two pounds of meat you increase.

The Marinade

The amounts listed are for two pounds of meat

2 lbs. thinly sliced steak

Juice from one orange, two limes, two lemons

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 heaping tbsp cumin

1/2 cup cilantro

4 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 tspn dried Mexican oregano

1 tspn finely chopped fresh thyme (optional)

1 finely chopped serano or jalapeno pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients except the meat and combine thoroughly. Add the meat and massage the marinade into the meat to ensure that all the pieces are well-coated. Marinate for one to six hours. The longer the better.

Grill the meat about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes per side – it’s quick. If you’re using skirt steak which is generally a little thicker than thin cut round steak, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side should suffice to get the meat to a medium-rare to medium doneness.

Slice the meat into small strips and cut across the grain if possible. Serve with roasted bell peppers and onions with tortillas or use as the meat for a torta.