Succulent Carne Asada

A Backyard Grill Carne Asada With Build-Your-Own Tortillas

Real carne asada starts with a long, acidic marinade that tenderizes the steak and saturates it with flavor. This version uses red wine vinegar as the acid (more common than lime in older Sonoran-style recipes), with sage, savory, dry mustard, and paprika as the herbal and warm-spice backbone. Six hours minimum in the marinade, overnight is better, gives the meat time to take on the seasoning all the way through.

What makes the recipe more than just grilled steak is the build-your-own table service. Slice the steak thin across the grain and arrange it on a platter alongside warm flour tortillas, thin-sliced onions, strips of green chiles, butter, salsa, and guacamole. Everyone builds their own taco. The butter on the tortilla is the unexpected move that makes this version distinctive: it adds a creamy richness that ties the meat and toppings together.

Pro Tips

• Slice the steak across the grain, never with it. Cutting against the grain shortens the meat fibers and gives you tender bites instead of chewy ones.
• Bring the steak to room temperature before grilling. Cold meat hitting hot grill grates cooks unevenly with a gray ring around a raw center.
• Boil the reserved marinade for at least 5 minutes before using as a basting sauce. Raw marinade carries bacteria from the marinated meat and isn’t safe.
• Heat tortillas wrapped in foil on the cooler side of the grill while the steak cooks. They steam-soften without drying out.
• Pull the steak when the internal temperature hits 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Variations

• Substitute skirt steak or flank steak for an even more authentic carne asada cut.
• Add 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and a chopped jalapeño to the marinade for a brighter, hotter version.
• Top tacos with crumbled cotija cheese and chopped cilantro for traditional finishing touches.