Carne Asada (Mexican Grilled Steak)

Carne Asada (Mexican Grilled Steak)

We are just days away from celebrating Cinco de Mayo (May 5th).  From a food point of view, it’s a great time to celebrate the spicy, fresh, citrus flavors Mexican food.  This year, I’m serving Carne Asada with avocado slices, a squeeze of lime juice and a hot stack of corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

4 lbs of flank steak

2 limes

1 orange

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp of kosher salt

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1/4 cup of white vinegar

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 large yellow onion, sliced

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of paprika

1 Tbsp of chile powder

Sliced avocado, jalepenos and lime juice for garnish.

For marinade:

Juice limes and the orange in a large bowl.  Add oil, vinegar, salt, garlic and cilantro.  Stir to blend ingredients.  Add flank steak and cover.  Refrigerate for no more than 2 hours.  (If you marinate too long, the citrus and vinegar will begin to cook/pickle the beef.)

For entree:

While the grill is heating, saute onion in a skillet over high heat.   As the onion begins to brown, add tomatoes.  Continue to cook for 3 more minutes.  Add spices.  Lower heat and allow to simmer on stove while you grill the marinated steak.

When grill is ready, allow the steak to sizzle over high heat for about 5 minutes per side (for medium-rare).  Remove, cover with foil and let rest.

On a large serving platter, spoon onion and tomato mixture over a bed of black bean.  Top with sliced steak.  Finish with sliced avocado, jalepenos, lime juice and cilantro.  Serve with hot corn tortillas and salsa.