How to make the Best Carne Asada on Your Grill
Carne asada is a dish that’s frequently found on the menu at Mexican restaurants. The simple translation for carne asada is “beef grilled.” In its common form, steak is marinated, grilled, sliced and served in tacos or burritos. In this form it is most often a good, but unmemorable dish.
A trio of chefs show how to make outstanding carne asada using SRF steak on your grill.
Meet the Experts
Jet Tila
Jet is a chef, culinary anthropologist and entrepreneur. He is part of the Food Network circle of chefs and has also competed on Iron Chef. Jet has deep roots in the culinary world and is passionate about storytelling through food. Jet was raised in Los Angeles where his family established the first Thai markets and restaurants in the U.S.
Jorge Velazquez
A native of the Napa Valley, Jorge Velazquez is known for his mastery of butchery and skills as a chef. Jorge cooks for locals and visiting guests as he creates custom dinners at various wineries and private homes in and around Napa. Jorge has served as a restaurant consultant in butchery, developed recipes for cookbooks and has assisted with many culinary productions.
Sal Alamilla
Salvador Alamilla was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico. His first culinary teacher was his mother, who was expert and making amazing Mexican dishes. Sal worked his way into restaurant ownership by working in the front and back of house of numerous establishments. Today, along with his wife Becca, Sal is the chef and proprietor of Amano Restaurant in Caldwell, Idaho. His menu shows influences of SoCal, Michoacan, and Oaxacan style Mexican food.
It's the Beef
While any cut of beef can be used to make carne asada, all our experts agree, the single best cut to use is the outside skirt steak. This cut has a wealth of rich marbling and bastes itself with flavor when cooked. The outside skirt has a rich beef flavor and a coarse grain that accepts marinades well.
There are two different skirt steaks - the inside and outside – so make sure you buy the correct one. The inside skirt steak is sourced from the transverse abdominal muscle and has a chewy texture. The outside skirt comes from the diaphragm and is marbled and tender.
The primary ingredient for carne asada is steak, so it’s important to select a high-quality source. Snake River Farms American Wagyu outside skirt is superior to grocery store varieties. A cross of 50% pure Wagyu and 50% high quality American cattle, it has the buttery essence that only comes from Japanese Wagyu and the rich beef flavor that hits home with American palates.
You can find other recipes that suggest any cut of steak like sirloin or ribeye can be used. Other than skirt steak, the next most recommended beef is the flank steak, a nice lean cut of uniform size with a strong grain. It’s a fine cut to use for carne asada but has a lower amount of marbling. It works well as a single steak, which will address in preparation ideas later.
Add the Flavor with Marinade
Carne asada starts with a great cut of beef, but the authentic spice and flavor comes from a good marinade recipe made with quality ingredients. The common marinade ingredients are garlic, chilis, onions and citrus juice. A marinade helps retain internal moisture, enhances the amount of external char and makes the meat more tender.
Most marinades contain liquids and the steak absorbs flavor in the mixture overnight. Chef Sal Alamilla employs a dry rub that is applied to the beef eight hours before cooking.
Either way, these seasonings are critical to produce the authentic flavor of genuine carne asada.
Break out the Grill
It is possible to sear your carne asada on a skillet indoors, but our experts unanimously recommend cooking on a wood or charcoal grill. The reason is simple. A hot grill produces the deep charred exterior required for perfect carne asada. This creates a flavorful crust and an added textural crunch.
The outside skirt steak is thin, so to caramelize and brown the exterior and a medium rare interior, the grill must be as hot as possible.
The Best Tortillas and Ingredients
After you’ve spent all the time and effort to prepare and cook your carne asada, it’s important to maintain a high level of quality for the supporting ingredients. Good tortillas are a must when you serve your steak. Chefs Tila and Velazquez live in areas where they can buy handmade tortillas made fresh daily. Chef Alamilla takes it a step further by making his own, using corn sourced from Mexico, ground in his restaurant and made fresh to order.
Carne asada, like many great foods, is a very simple dish with a minimum amount of ingredients. To make the best carne asada you’ve ever tasted, start with high quality beef from Snake River Farms and follow one of the three recipes from our chefs. Once you’ve tasted how good carne asada can be, you’ll probably never order in a restaurant again.
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