Tacos de Carne Asada
This recipe transports me and hopefully you into the scorching heat of the border state of Sonora in northern Mexico where I met a lot of people I now consider family. This dish is a marriage of various seemingly simple dishes which together become something more. The connection to festivities doesn’t end there, as this dish is mainly enjoyed as a means of celebration by the people of northern Mexico and is as much fun as it is delicious. As most parties in warmer climates include some sort of barbecuing, this dish is meant to be prepared during a barbecue session. But fear not, this dish can be done easily in the kitchens of less fortunate people who either lack the good weather or the space for firing up a grill. The only “essential” cooking item is a “comal” (a Mexican griddle/skillet) but even the comal can be replaced by an ordinary flat griddle or skillet. Whilst tacos are a very varied dish by nature and different salsas and fillings can be used, this version is my favorite. While you definitely could use store-bought tortillas I would like to encourage you to give making your own flour tortillas a try (see the recipe in the bread section), as this brings everything to the next level. Buen provecho!
2
servings20
minutes20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
500 g 500 of beef (preferably thinly cut sirloin or skirt steak)
2 2 ripe avocados
3 3 tomatoes
1/2 red onion
2 2 onions
4 4 limes
5 5 green pointed peppers
2 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
Fresh coriander
8 8 flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Directions
- The guacamole: peel the avocados, remove the pits and cut the flesh into manageable pieces. Put the avocado pieces in a bowl and squish them with a fork. Add the juice of 1–2 limes and add salt to taste. Taste in order to make sure it’s not too sour or salty. Now dice up one half of a tomato, finely dice the ½ red onion and add to the avocado mix. Season to taste with some freshly chopped coriander and set aside.
- The salsa tatemada: cut the onions in half and wrap them in aluminium foil. Lightly cover the outside of the tomatoes, pointed green peppers and jalapeño peppers with some vegetable oil. Place everything on a comal/griddle/skillet and char them from all sides until the skin starts to tear. Place the peppers in a plastic bag or other airtight container – this steams them and makes removing the skin that much easier.
- Peel the tomatoes and the now steamed peppers, unwrap the onion and set aside the peeled jalapeño peppers. Cut up the tomatoes, onions and pointed green peppers into chunky bits and mix them together to get a chunky charred salsa. Season with salt, pepper and a splash of lime juice. Set aside.
- The meat: grill and season (I would stick to just salt and pepper) the beef to your personal preference and cut it into bite-sized slices/cubes. Set aside.
- The assembly: (re-)heat your tortillas on a clean comal/griddle/skillet. Place some of the grilled meat, guacamole and salsa tatemada on your tortilla and form a taco. Brave souls who really want to feel the scorching heat of the Sonoran desert may now dice up some of the charred and peeled jalapeño peppers and add as much to their taco as they can handle. Serve with lime wedges (for splashing some lime juice on the tacos) and some freshly chopped coriander. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Comal, griddle or flat skillet
- Grill (optional)
- Aluminium foil
- Mixing bowls
Notes
- While you definitely could use store-bought tortillas I would like to encourage you to give making your own flour tortillas a try, as this brings everything to the next level.
- Brave souls who really want to feel the scorching heat of the Sonoran desert may dice up some of the charred and peeled jalapeño peppers and add as much to their taco as they can handle.