Carne Asada in Fajitas

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we'll be celebrating the rich and diverse food and culture of our neighbors to the south all this coming week. It's a great opportunity to showcase some fabulous recipes I've picked up and have been anxious to try. Quite honestly it's also opportunity to see if we'd ever get tired of Mexican food. I rather doubt it but we'll see won't we!

Last night's effort was Carne Asada which literally means "roasted meat", in this case pieces of beef sirloin which were pounded thin, then marinated for several hours before they hit the grill. Often used as a filler for tortas, tacos and burritos, it's a fairly popular choice here in Tucson, but less so in Mexico where pork, chicken and seafood (if you're closer to the coast) are more common.

This marinade is a real keeper and includes oil, red wine vinegar, a lot of citrus, garlic and spices which certainly did the trick as far as tenderizing the meat. Although Carne Asada is normally made from flank or skirt steak, because of its popularity it's a little harder to find so the sirloin was a great alternatiave. By the way, the marinade would work well with chicken too, but don't let it sit too long because there's a lot of acid in it which would break the poultry down too much! Download Carne Asada Marinade

To say the meat was tender doesn't describe it adequately - tender, flavorful, and mildly spicy.The only thing I would advise is that if at all possible, cook it outside because it causes a fair bit of smoke. The big guy cooked it quickly on the flat top grill but you could also use a barbecue.

After the meat comes off the grill, let it rest for a minute then slice it thinly so it fits perfectly inside a tortilla. We enjoyed our Carne Asada as fajitas with grilled onion, red and green bell peppers as well as some Cabellero Frijoles that we've shared here with you before. The big guy whipped up a fresh salsa with cherry tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, lime, cilantro and avocado to top our fajitas. Our Sunday night special team effort dinner was divine - simply divine.

Comments

[Lisa]

I love fajitas. I have some to post about this week too. Your marinade sounds fantastic. Great Cinco de Mayo flavors.

[June]

Thanks Lisa. I'll be watching for your version!

[Mags]

We're going to Mexico this week... YAY! (I love it when you do themes)

These fajitas sound fantastic. Can't wait to see what else you come up with for this first week of May celebration!

[June]

I know it's been a while since the Caribbean tour hasn't it? Tomorrow's won't be so great for ya', but the rest of the week should be OK!

[Nanan]

I love a good vacation with the JBug and the big guy, too!!!!! Glad I could go for the ride with Mags! This looks lovely and I have been looking for a good beef marinade for Asada!

[June]

Lea - I wondered who Mags was talking to in the back seat! LOL Love that you're joining us on our Mexican adventure. This recipe's a real keeper - best Carne Asada we've ever had!

[Sophia]

I love carne asada! Amanda would always add corona to the marinade. Mmmm.

[June]

Sophia - We love it too...such a great way to cook a not so tender cut of meat. I'll have try Amanda's way soon. Yummm! Hopefully it's just a small amount of Corona so I can finish the bottle!