Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Tacos

from bonappetit.com

Our best carne asada tacos are made with grill-friendly flank or skirt steak and get punchy flavor from a citrusy marinade with cilantro and garlic.

Ingredients

  • 6 Steak
  • 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup (packed) coarsely chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ⅓ cup Mexican pale lager (such as Modelo Especial or Corona)
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. red chile powder
  • 3 lb. ¼"-thick skirt or flank steak, cut into 5"-long pieces
  • 1 Salsa and assembly
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill
  • 10 small white onion, halved
  • 3 serrano chiles, stems removed
  • 3 oz. tomatillos (about 3 large), husks removed, rinsed
  • 2½ garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • tsp. ground cumin
  • cup (packed) coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

Directions

  1. 1

    Combine garlic, cilantro, orange juice, lager, lime juice, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, cumin, and chile powder in a large baking dish or 1-gal. resealable plastic bag. Add steak and turn to coat in marinade. Cover (or seal) and chill, turning occasionally, at least 10 hours and up to 1 day.

  2. 2

    Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Grill onion halves, chiles, and tomatillos, turning often, until charred and tender, 10–15 minutes for onion and tomatillos, 8–12 minutes for chiles.

  3. 3

    Transfer vegetables to a blender and add garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, 1 cup cilantro, and 3 Tbsp. oil. Carefully blend until salsa is mostly smooth (some texture is good but make sure there are no large chunks).

  4. 4

    Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip back into dish (or bag); discard marinade. Grill steak, turning every minute or so, until charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 140° for medium, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

  5. 5

    Thinly slice steak against the grain, then cut into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

  6. 6

    Top tortillas with some steak, salsa, cilantro, and chopped onion. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over and remaining salsa alongside.

  7. 7

    Do ahead: Salsa can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Loosen with a splash of water if needed before serving.