Carne asada is a thin steak that is typically chopped into small strips and served in tortilla shells, although it can also be served as an entrée. Normally the steak is grilled and marinated, but it can as well be cooked or sautéed in a slow cooker.
Skirt steak, flank steak, or flap meat are traditionally used in carne asada. Choose your favorite among these similar cuts. Carne asada can be made with nearly any variety of beef, though.
Continue reading to learn how to make this delicious dish at home. Cooking carne asada entails a number of processes, which will be discussed in detail below.
Tips for Cooking
- If using a flank steak, the flank steak should be marinated up to overnight or for at least 3 hours. You can get away with a shorter marinade time if you use skirt steak, at least one hour!
- If using a cast-iron skillet, preheat it over medium-high heat for at least 5 minutes. When adding the steak, you want the pan to be scorching hot, so you can obtain the beautiful char that carne asadas is known for
- Wait a few minutes before cutting your steak! Allow 5 to 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute and resist the desire to eat it right away.
- Finally, always cut against the grain when cutting your steak. In a piece of steak, the grain refers to the direction in which the muscle fibers line. These fibers are shortened when you cut the flesh against the grain, resulting in a delicate bite.
How To Cook Carne Asada On Stove
Ingredients
- Flank steak or skirt steak
- Minced and seeded jalapeño
- Minced garlic cloves
- Grounded cumin seed
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- Lime juice
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- White vinegar
- Olive oil
Instructions
Method 1: Steak Marination
Step 1: All of the ingredients of the marinade should be mixed together. Whisk together all of the ingredients, except the steak, in a large mixing basin. Use a non-reactive basin or baking dish, such as glass. Because the acid in vinegar and lime juice reacts with metals like aluminum, they’re not a good choice.
If you can’t get fresh jalapeno peppers, a serrano chile will suffice. Ground red pepper or canned jalapeos can also be used.
If you don’t have fresh minced garlic on hand, garlic powder can be substituted.
Step 2: Use pepper and salt to season the steak. Add the meat to the marinade and turn it several times to coat, ensuring that it is completely covered on all sides. Carne asada is traditionally made with flank steak, but other thin-sliced steaks, such as skirt steak, can be used as well.
Step 3: 1 to 4 hours should be for marinating. Put the baking dish or bowl that is covered in plastic wrap in a refrigerator. The steak will become more tender and flavorful the longer it sits in the marinade. However, if you leave it in the marinade for too long, it may get tough.
The recommended maximum time is four hours. The flavor of the meat will thereafter be almost identical. However, you can leave it sitting for up to 24 hours before it becomes unpleasant.
Do not let your steak to marinate on the counter in the kitchen. Bacteria will grow in the flesh if this is done. The steak should only be marinated in the fridge.
Method 2: Using a burner to cook the carnitas Asada
Step 1: You must complete the following steps. In a skillet, brown the carne asada. In a skillet, cook the steak for 8 minutes, turning it once it’s halfway through. In your skillet, pour the canola oil to the bottom and ensure that it is heated over medium-high heat. Allow 1 to 2 minutes for the oil to heat up to the desired temperature. Toss in the steak. Cook for 4 minutes on one side before using tongs to flip it over to the other. 4 minutes more to cook.
This will produce a medium-rare steak. Depending on the degree of doneness you want, 1 or 2 minutes should be added to the cooking time.
Step 2: Slow-cook the steak. Cook the steak in a slow cooker for 10 to 12 minutes on low.
Add both the leftover marinade and marinated steak to the slow cooker. When your steak is cooked this way, it will be tender enough to use a fork to shred.
Step 3: Finish cooking.
Method 3: Serving the Steak
Step 1: Let the steak rest. The grilled steak should be transferred to a carving board and allowed to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. When you allow the steak to rest, the juices it produces are given a chance to spread themselves in the meat. As a result, you’ll get a steak that’s much juicier.
Step 2: Thinly slice the steak. Use a meat fork to hold the steak steady while slicing it with a carving knife with the other hand. Carve with a thin-bladed carving knife.
The long end of the steak should now face you. The “grain” of the muscle fibers should be horizontal. Cut the steak across the grain with the knife held at a 45-degree angle. Cutting the steak against the grain produces tough, chewy flesh.
Step 3: Put the food on the table as soon as possible. If you want to enjoy your carne asada best, then eat it when it’s still warm.
Cooking Time for Carne Asada on Stove
When cooking carve asada on stove, the only thing that takes time is marinating. After marinating the rest of the cooking is very easy to do and is not time consuming. Below are the times it takes to cook carne asada on stove:
| Cooking time for Carne Asada | Cooking time |
| Prepping | 20 minutes |
| Marinating | 24 hours |
| Cooking | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 1 day 50 minutes |
Carne asada is a beautiful dish and when it is cooked well, you’ll be glad that you made. The various steps in making it has been provided above, however, if you want to learn more, watch this video by clicking here.