You ever noticed how when you tell someone what you are making that dinner they give you that nod back in approval like you are either the coolest person on the planet or a really good chef. While there are many dishes that will likely engender that sort of response we are more than certain that carne asada is always in that group. Carne Asada is one of the best dishes that you can make out of a mean piece of steak and the Mexican style of herbs and spices coupled with some tortillas always seem to do the trick. Plus, given that it is a style that lends itself quite well to being on a grill one could imagine seeing it being cooked during a tailgate of a Mexican soccer match.
So how does one make Carne Asada? Read on to find out!
Ingredients
(Credit: MexicanFoodJournal.com)
2 pounds of flank steak
1-2 limes (it depends how much of a citrus taste you want to have)
2 cloves of garlic
dash of salt
3-5 whole white onions
Tortillas
Directions
1.) Whenever you are grilling the first and most important step is to marinade. Mince your garlic using the wet blade of your knife (It will help remove the outer casing of the garlic) and place it into a small bowl. Then cut your lime(s) and squeeze the juice into a bowl. Put your steak and your lime/garlic into a ziplock bag and let it marinate for up to two hours. Go have a beer. Also make sure to take this opportunity to clean out your grill and to make sure you have ample charcoal. There is nothing worse than wanting to grill and having no charcoal.
(Author’s note: For the purpose of this piece we are using a charcoal grill. Based off of my research that seems to be the popular type of grill for carne asada that’s cool too. Have another drink and go skip ahead to step three).
2.) After about 90 minutes or so you will need to start your grill. Place your coals down light your grill. Make sure that your coals are all close together and that the air duct is in the correct position at the bottom. You will be ready to place your items on the grill once the coals start turning gray.
3.) Quarter your onions and place them on the grill. If you put the top on for about 5-10 minutes they should start looking slightly burned on the outside. Once they are full cooked me them to the periphery of the grill and using a pair of tongs place your steak on the grill. You will want the steak to be placed over your hottest coals. Again, you can see which ones those are by how gray they are (Do not touch the coals. I know we have already encouraged you to have a couple of drinks but don’t pretend this is a mind over matter exercise). Also, do not throw out your marinade bag. Why? Why you will have to read on to find out!
4.) Flip your meat after 7 or 8 minutes. Even if you are a fan of rare meat you will want to make sure it has a nice charred look on the outside. When you flip the meat bring your marinade bag over and pour it onto your steak. That will add a little extra flavor to it.
5.) Once your meat is cooked to your preference (No judging here) go ahead and take it and your onions off of the grill. On a cutting board using a knife cut your steak into smaller longer strips. Pull out your tortillas and snag your onions and you are all set!
Drink to go with your carne asada? Nalgas Alegre or Sol beer
There is a great feature on VICE about how one of Mexico’s greatest soccer teams, Chivas da Guadalajara of 1957-1965, would go to a bar in Guadalajara and have a drink called the Nalgas Alegre or The Happy Buttocks. It is a cocktail of gin, rum, red wine, Orange Crush soda, and lime juice which sounds absolutely delightful and is something that would likely terrify coaches in this modern era if they heard their players were drinking it.
But we here at Prost are cognizant of how some Mexican supporters feel about Chivas so we are offering the rare second option! Sol beer is a lager out of Mexico that always seems to get less attention than its more popular brothers: Corona, Modelo, and Dos Equis. However, it stands on its own for smoothness and awesome logo. Having had a few Sols with carne asada in my lifetime with carne asada it is a great pairing that will make any football fan happy.
(Photo Credit: Denise McCooey)
Will Mexican fans be eating carne asada at this year’s 2017 Gold Cup Final?
There is no way that we could do this part any justice. So instead we are going to tell you to check out Jonny Rico’s fantastic preview ahead of the 2017 Gold Cup. He is one of the best writers in North American football and if you aren’t reading his work already you are missing out.
One thing that we will say is this: Yours truly is really looking forward to watching this Mexico squad, especially since it is the perfect opportunity to start catching on to Liga MX. Seriously folks: there are tons of Mexican league matches on everyday. And they are awesome. That they are in Spanish should not be a deterrent to watching a game.
Prediction: Mexico makes it all the way Gold Cup final where they fall just short in the final. That’s okay though because the players use it as motivation for an epic World Cup run. Now far will they go in that tournament? All we are going to say is keep the carne asada recipe for the 2018 World Cup final.
