Mexican Take Out Carne Asada Tacos With Roasted Poblano Rajas Recipes

CARNE ASADA TACOS

Steps:

• Give the skirt steak a sprinkling of salt on both sides. If it arrived in one long strip I will usually cut it into smaller, more manageable pieces. You can optionally pound the steak thinner if you want a more even cut. If you don't have a meat pounder you can easily do this with a skillet. I usually put plastic on either side of the meat before pounding.
• For the marinade, add the listed ingredients to a blender and combine well.
• Create a single layer of steak in a casserole dish. Cover with the marinade and be sure to get some underneath as well. Cover with plastic and marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. (You could alternatively use a Ziploc bag.)
• For the Pico de Gallo, start by giving the tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro a good rinse. Peel the onion and de-stem the tomatoes and jalapenos. I usually twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portions of the cilantro stems, but keep the upper portion of the stems that hold the leaves together.
• Finely chop the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno into 1/4" sized chunks. Finely dice the cilantro. For a milder version you can start by using only 1 of the jalapenos and adding more incrementally if you want more heat. Combine everything in a mixing bowl along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the juice of two limes. Mix together well and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt and lime if necessary (I added more salt to this batch).
• Preheat the grill so it's piping hot before you add the steak. I usually pat the meat dry before adding to the grill. Cook each piece of meat for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temp is 130-135F (medium-rare). You can always cook them longer if that's your preference, but skirt steak will toughen up a bit at higher temps.
• Let the cooked meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Cut against the grain into thin strips. For tacos I will usually cut the strips into bite-sized pieces.
• For serving, heat up the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add cheese to each tortilla and cook until they are crisping up and light brown spots are forming on the underside.
• Each cheesy tortilla gets Carne Asada, Pico de Gallo, and a final squeeze of lime. Buen Provecho!

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK TACOS WITH ROASTED POBLANO RAJAS

Steps:

• 1. Marinating the Meat. In a food processor or blender combine one-quarter of the onions, the garlic, lime juice, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process to a smooth puree. Place the skirt steak in a nonaluminum baking dish. Using a spoon, smear the marinade over both sides of the skirt steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• 2. Making the Grilled Chile-and-Onion Rajas. Turn on the oven to its lowest setting. Heat a gas grill to medium high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn just until the coals are covered with gray ash and very hot. Either turn the burner(s) in the center of the grill to medium-low or bank the coals to the sides of the grill for indirect cooking. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill and let the grate heat up, 5 minutes or so.
• Lay the chiles on the hottest part of the grill, and cook, turning occasionally until the skin is blistered and uniformly blackened all over, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to char the flesh, only the skin. Remove the chiles from the grill and cover with a kitchen towel.
• While the chiles are roasting, brush or spray the remaining onion slice with oil and lay the whole rounds of onions on the grill in a cooler spot than you chose for the chiles. When they're starting to soften and are browned on the first side, about 10 minutes, use a spatula to flip them and brown the other side. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish and separate the rings (if they haven't started separating during grilling).
• 3. Grilling the Meat. Remove the steak from the marinade and gently shake off the excess. Oil the steak well on both sides and lay it over the hottest part of the grill. Grill, turning once, until richly browned and done to your liking, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare (the way I like skirt steak).
• 4. Serving the tacos. Cut the long piece of skirt steak into 3-to 4-inch lengths, then cut each section across the grain (that is, in line with the full length of the steak) into thin strips. Mix with the chiles and onions, season with a little salt and set on the table along with the lime wedges and hot tortillas, for your guests to make into soft tacos.
• Working Ahead: Thin steaks like skirt taste best with a relatively short tour in the marinade - 1 to 8 hours. Leave them longer, and the marinade overpowers the flavor and saps the rosy color of the meat. The poblano-and-onion rajas can be made several hours ahead and left at room temperature; rewarm before serving. The steak, of course, must be grilled just before you're ready to eat.

CARNE ASADA FAJITAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak. Cover, refrigerate for 1-8 hours.
• Remove from marinade and slice the flank steak with the grain in half.
• Skewer the bell peppers and onions like a kebob.
• Wrap the tortilla shells in foil.
• Mix the fajita seasoning and vegetable oil right before putting the vegetables on the grill to avoid it getting too thick.
• Grill the peppers and onions over preheated medium high grill, basting periodically with fajita/oil mixture until charred and vegetables are crisp tender. Approx 10-15 minutes.
• Move vegetables to a cool part of the grill and place steak over hottest part of the grill. Grill 3-5 minutes per side or until steak is medium. At the same time, place the tortilla packet on the grill. Turn the tortilla packet every few minutes to avoid burning the tortillas.
• Allow the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
• While the steak is resting, remove the onions and peppers from skewers and chop into bite size pieces.
• Build your fajitas and enjoy! Great with guacamole and sour cream.

AUTHENTIC BAJA-MEXICAN STREET TACOS (CARNE ASADA)

Steps:

• Combine orange juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne in a large freezer bag. Submerge skirt steaks in the marinade. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate, 1 to 8 hours.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the steaks until hot and firm in the center or to your preferred doneness, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a flat work surface and slice as thinly as possible against the grain.
• Heat corn tortillas on the grill or in a microwave. Keep tortillas warm in a folded sheet of aluminum foil covered by a thick towel.
• Add steak to each tortilla and top with white onion and cilantro.