I haven’t had carne asada in….hell, since I left Arizona. Well, *real* carne asada that is. Many places get really close to the real deal but don’t quite make it there. Carne Asada has a particular flavor that you know when you taste it and I never really knew what it was in the past, I always just bought pre-marinated carne asada from the carniceria in my neighborhood. When I came across skirt steak at the commissary, I knew I had to make carne asada. The weather has been warming up, the grass is growing, the leaves had exploded into all their vibrant green glory, it was time to fire up the grill. I did some research and came across a recipe that sounded promising.
It’s really hard to come across skirt steak in MD. The steak most similar to skirt steak that I have found is flank steak and while it’s similar, it does not give the same flavor as skirt. However, you can still use flank if that’s all you can find.
Skirt steak is the long piece of meat taken from the diaphragm. It is known for it’s flavor but it is not very tender so you must marinade it. The marinade is the secret to carne asada and this marinade is the real deal. The marinade is what I shall share with you today.
My mouth is watering just thinking about making this again. I could eat carne asada until I explode.
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Add orange juice, lime, onion, cumin, garlic, and cilantro to a large freezer bag. Massage so that the ingredients mix well. Add skirt steak. Add more lemon juice if needed. Massage the steak in the orange juice. Let marinade for 24-48 hours
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Fire up the grill and grill until skirt steak is about medium. Take off heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice.
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Finely chop one onion and mince one small palm size of cilantro. Mix well together
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Serve carne asada with corn tortillas, onion & cilantro mixture, and taqueria pickles.
The Kitchen Coven 