Mexico · Meat Dishes

Carne Asada

Flank steak marinated in fresh lime, orange, garlic and cilantro, then grilled on screaming-hot metal until charred outside and pink inside.

30 min✻4 servings✻310 kcal
Carne Asada

Ingredients

  • flank steak700 g
  • limes3
  • orange1
  • garlic cloves5
  • bunch of cilantro1
  • olive oil3 tbsp
  • cumin1 tsp
  • smoked paprika1 tsp
  • salt1 tsp
  • black pepper0.5 tsp

Method

  1. 1Make the marinade: squeeze the juice of 3 limes and 1 orange into a bowl. Add crushed garlic, roughly chopped cilantro (stems included), olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  2. 2Place the steak in a shallow dish or zip-lock bag. Pour the marinade over, pressing it into both sides. Refrigerate for 4–8 hours. Do not exceed 10 hours — the citric acid will start breaking down the surface protein and the texture turns mushy.
  3. 3Remove the steak from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat the surface lightly with paper towels — excess marinade drips and steams instead of charring.
  4. 4Heat a cast iron skillet or grill to maximum heat — it should be visibly smoking before the meat goes on. No extra oil needed; the olive oil in the marinade is enough. Cook 3–4 minutes per side without pressing or moving. You want dark, slightly charred marks, not gray steamed meat.
  5. 5Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. This step is not optional — cutting immediately loses all the juices.
  6. 6Find the direction of the muscle fibres running along the steak. Slice thinly — 3–4 mm — at a 45° angle across the grain. Serve in warm tortillas with salsa, or over rice with lime wedges.