June 22, 2023

Tequila Lime Carne Asada Tacos

Tequila Lime Carne Asada Taco-that’s a mouthful figuratively and literally. This is a delicious, yet unpretentious dish for lunch or dinner. If you keep the ingredients separate, you can also make a late-night taco snack.

In an odd twist, the term carne asada is sometimes used to describe a social occasion in Central America. It’s kind of like an American cookout, complete with barbecue. In Northern Mexico, carne asada has the distinction of being the most common dish for parties. Once you get a bite of this recipe, you’ll understand why people love it so much. It’s one of my favorites among my repertoire of Mexican-flavored foods.

Ingredients: Steak

4 cloves chopped garlic
2 limes squeezed
2 lbs Skirt steak
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Cuso’s Tequila Lime BBQ rub (Coming Soon!)
1 cup Clase Azul Reposado Tequila

Instructions

Put all the ingredients in a large dish.
Mix them thoroughly.
Let the meat marinate for 1 hour.
30 minutes in, begin heating your grill and making the sauce

Ingredients: Sauce

Garlic from marinade
2 chopped jalapeno peppers
6 oz. Oaxaca cheese
1 cup tequila

Instructions

Put the garlic from the marinade in a hot iron pan
Add the jalapenos and let them sauté
Break up the Oaxaca cheese
Add the cheese to the pan and stir continuously until it melts
Pour over the tequila
Hit the sauce with a kitchen flamer

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Extra Ingredients

Avocado
Pico

Instructions

Grill your meat hot and fast, turning it regularly
Drizzle some of the marinade on the steak while cooking
Let the meat rest 10 minutes before slicing perpendicularly against the grain
As it rests, lay the taco shells in the meat juice, then toast them
Put some cheese on the taco shell, meat and avocado slices, and pico.
It’s ready to serve

TIPS: Grill up some scallions to wrap into your taco. Try different flavors of pico or salsa to change up the flavor profile.

PitMaster’s Memo: What is Carne Asada?

Carne Asada is a dish that uses marinated steak and common taco fillings for a juicy treat. Really, the key to carne asada is the marinade. It creates savory, tender meat. You can certainly adjust the flavors of your marinade to your liking, like using orange juice instead of lime.

Skirt steak and flank steak are the best choices for carne asada. They’re very similar to each other. Flank steak tastes meatier, and skirt steak isn’t quite as tender as flank. Either should be cooked no further than medium rare or you’ll have leather.

For those without a grill, just a large skillet on your stove instead. Here you will cook your meat for about 3 minutes each side. Remove from the pan, warm up the tacos, and assemble.