Wednesday, June 16, 2010

And so we meat again.

There are two ways to approach carne asada at home. One is the true homemade method done by marinating your own carne, and the other is to purchase the pre-marinated carne from Trader Joe's.  Both work and taste good, but are cannot be considered equal on prep time.  Last week I tried out the TJ's carne asada, cooked on the grill and sliced thinly for some fresh tacos. It's really good and cooks on the grill in about 15 minutes. If you want to give the real deal a shot, here's a tasty recipe with orange juice, lime juice, jalapeños and garlic for making your own tangy and spicy version at home.  Before serving we topped these with jalapeño-cilantro sauce. Other than the meat and tortillas, all you need for these is your favorite salsa, chopped cilantro and onions, and some lime wedges. Top tacos with all of the above, and you're done!


CARNE ASADA
Tyler Florence's Mojo Marinade:
4 garlic cloves
1 jalapeño
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Place two pounds of flank or skirt steak in a shallow baking dish and marinate for 1-8 hours.  Grill (or broil) the steak for about 7 minutes on each side. Once it's cooked to your liking, let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.