Carne Asada Tacos: One of my favorite things to make are tacos. First there are so many different kinds, fish, pork, shrimp vegan and beef. And beef is what we are going to make today. This 20-minute recipe is simple to prepare AND delicious. Juicy beef strips are coated in taco seasoning, then quickly seared. Beef makes the perfect filling for warm flour tortillas. Finished off with tomato salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and a squeeze of lime. A crisp salad rounds out the plate. And you have the perfect summer meal.
The first step is to Marinate beef, as being the staple of the meal lets get it right. Peel and finely chop 2 teaspoons of garlic. In a large bowl Squeeze 1 tablespoon lime juice. Cut any remaining limes into wedges to sprinkle on the finished taco. Add 3 teaspoons of the taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, and a touch of salt and pepper to lime juice, and mix it all up. Add beef strips and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.
Tip of the meal
Warming your tortillas before you serve. Heat your nonstick skillet and add 1 tortilla at a time, and cook until warmed and lightly golden. It should take about 30 seconds per side. Wrap them in foil to keep warm for when you are ready to use them. The rest of the recipe is really simple: just a little chopping and mixing. Fill your tortillas with beef, top with salsa, a little sour cream, and remaining cilantro and you will have yourself a great summer meal.
Tips for cooking steak:
MAKE SURE THE STEAK IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE: Cooking the Perfect Steak: Before you start cooking the perfect steak, get the steak out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature about one hour before cooking – frying or grilling it from cold will stop the heat from penetrating to the middle as efficiently.
SALT STEAK BEFORE COOKING:
Salt steak for 30 minutes before cooking. This is the best option for those nights when you’re cooking steak on a whim. Salting relatively close to cooking seasons the steak and helps create a dry surface for searing.
Salt steak for 24 hours: Salting your steak overnight also creates a dry surface for searing, but with the added bonus of a bit more concentrated flavor in the interior tissue.
SPICE AFTER SEARING: Don’t use ground pepper, steak seasoning, or other rubs for pan-seared steaks. The extremely hot pan will burn these spices before they can flavor the steak.
Wine pairing:
Petite Sirah
Body and Tannins: full-bodied, tannic
Durif is a variety of red wine grape primarily grown in Australia, California, France, and Israel. Since the end of the 20th century, wineries located in Washington’s Yakima River Valley, Maryland. Pairs Well With These Foods: Mexican & Latin American food, rich foods, pizza.
Carne Asada Tacos
Equipment
- medium nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pkts sour cream
- 4 oz salsa
- 1 oz pepitas
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas
- ¼ oz fresh cilantro
- 1 romaine heart
- ½ lb beef strips
- taco seasoning use 2½ tsp
- 1 lime
- garlic use 2 large cloves
- apple cider vinegar or redwine vinegar
- kosher salt & ground pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Marinate beef: Peel and finely chop 1½ teaspoons garlic. Squeeze 1 tablespoon lime juice into a medium bowl. Cut any remaining lime into wedges. Add 2½ teaspoons of the taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to lime juice, stirring to combine. Add beef strips and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate until step 4.
- Prep salad, make dressing: Halve romaine lengthwise, then cut crosswise into very thin slices, discarding end. Roughly chop cilantro leaves and tender stems together. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Warm tortillas: Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tortilla at a time, and cook until warmed and lightly golden, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate and wrap in foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas. (Alternatively, toast tortillas over a gas flame until lightly charred in spots, 5–10 seconds per side.)
- Cook beef: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high. Using a slotted spoon, add beef to skillet and cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom, 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add marinade and cook, stirring, until beef is cooked through, 1–2 minutes.
- Dress salad: Add pepitas, romaine, and half of the cilantro to bowl with dressing. Toss to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble tacos & serve: Fill tortillas with beef, then top with salsa, sour cream, and remaining cilantro. Serve with romaine salad alongside. Pass any lime wedges for squeezing.
Video
Notes
Milk, Soy and Sulphur dioxide and sulphites. May contain traces of other allergens. Packaged in a facility that packages gluten containing products.
