Last Updated on September 17, 2023
Carne asada, hailing from Northern Mexico, specifically the state of Sonora, is as much a celebration of the smoky char-grilled beef as it is of gathering outdoors with your friends and family. Usually flank or skirt steak is marinated in spices and garlic before being grilled over high heat until charred, but still tender. Then either sliced or chopped, the steak is typically served with warm tortillas, which can be corn or flour. Flour tortillas come from northern Mexico as well and are frequently served with carne asada. Beans, grilled scallions, guacamole and salsas like the roasted tomato and onion salsa in this recipe are also often served with carne asada too.
This recipe calls for broiling the tomatoes, onions and a jalapeño, which add another layer of smoky-char taste that reinforces the flavor of outdoor cookery. If you want, you can attempt to grill these vegetables instead.
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs ButcherBox Flank Steak defrosted and patted very dry
- Canola oil
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bunch scallions
- 5 jalapeños 1 of them stemmed and de-seeded
- 6 Roma tomatoes halved
- 1 medium white onion cut into thin wedges
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 3 large avocados
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 12 small flour tortillas warmed or grilled
Instructions
- Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for high heat, making sure to clean grates and lightly slick them with a kitchen rag or brush dipped in canola oil. Rub the cumin all over the flank steak and then generously do the same with salt and pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of canola oil all over the flank steak and set aside while the grill heats up. In a large bowl, toss the whole scallions and the 4 whole jalapeños with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt.
- Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with foil and add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and the stemmed and seeded jalapeño. Turn on the broiler and cook, turning the vegetables occasionally until the tomatoes are juicy and the onion and garlic have softened and have some charred ends, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop them all into very small pieces, place in a bowl, stir in 2 tablespoons of lime juice and season with salt (instead of chopping you can pulse in a blender or use a molcajete).
- Scoop the avocado into a small bowl, sprinkle with salt and mash into a chunky purée with a fork. Stir in the cilantro, the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice, season with salt and set aside.
- Once hot, place the scallions across the grill grates and cook, turning once, until softened and charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Grill the 4 remaining jalapeños the same way and transfer to the plate with the scallions. Place the steak on the grill and cook, undisturbed, until there is some deep charring on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the steak over and finish cooking to your desired doneness or until it reaches 145º F in the middle.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Warm the tortillas up on the grill then wrap in a towel while you chop the steak into small pieces. Season it with salt and pepper and serve with the roasted tomato salsa, guacamole, scallions, jalapeños and tortillas.
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