Ingredients
1 c. roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1/2 bunch)
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 sour orange, zested and juiced (see note in introduction)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for grilling
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for grilling
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 lb. skirt steak, trimmed and cut against the grain into 6” lengths
Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Salsa Verde, or any favorite salsa
Preparation
Step 1Combine marinade ingredients (through the black pepper) in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Place trimmed, portioned steak into a plastic bag and pour marinade on top. Press the air out of the bag and massage the marinade into the steak. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Step 1Heat a grill pan over high heat. Pour a small amount of canola oil onto a wad of paper towel and rub the grill grates until they are coated with a thin layer of oil. Repeat if needed to make sure grates are evenly coated. While the pan is heating, use a paper towel to pat excess marinade from the skirt steak, and season both sides with a heavy pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Step 2When you see wisps of smoke coming from the pan, place the skirt steak on the grill at a 45-degree angle and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the steak counterclockwise 90 degrees and continue grilling for another minute. Flip the steak and repeat on the other side. (The internal temperature should be at least 125℉.) Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin strips.
For this preparation, the marinade is as important as the meat. There are as many marinades for carne asada as there are taquerias that make carne asada. This recipe employs the must-haves of garlic, cilantro, citrus, and a chipotle pepper in adobo. For the citrus, we used a lime and sour orange, also known as a Seville orange. These can be tough to find, especially out of season, so if you’re at a loss for sour oranges, substitute with a regular navel orange and an additional lime to balance out the sweetness. The “asada” in carne asada literally means grilled meat, so a grill is essential to achieving the desired results. Typically, those beautiful diamond-patterned grill marks are reserved for cuts that you plan to serve whole and unsliced for a mouth-watering presentation. Although we’re slicing the meat, we’re still keeping those traditional grill marks. In addition to creating a fun pattern, rotating the meat also distributes the char from the grill across the surface of the meat, instead of allowing it to concentrate in one place. That means more surface area is kissed by the grill, adding a bit of complexity to each bite. If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, a large cast-iron pan will work. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Use them for piling into tortillas with your favorite salsa, serving with black beans and rice, or layering into a carne asada torta. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
