Carne Asada Street Tacos

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the marinade: whisk the lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, oil, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, and pepper in a bowl or large zip-top bag. No extra salt needed — the soy sauce covers it.

2. 2

   Add the steak, turn to coat, and refrigerate for 2–4 hours. Do NOT go past 8 hours: the citrus acid keeps working and eventually turns the surface of the meat mushy instead of tender.

3. 3

   Take the steak out of the marinade 30 minutes before cooking so it loses its fridge chill — a cold center means overcooked edges by the time the middle is done.

4. 4

   Pat the steak VERY dry with paper towels and discard the marinade. A wet surface steams; a dry surface chars. This step is where most homemade carne asada goes wrong.

5. 5

   Heat a grill or cast-iron pan on the highest heat until it is genuinely smoking — flick a drop of water on it and it should vanish instantly. Lightly oil the steak, not the pan.

6. 6

   Lay the steak down and DON'T touch it for 3 minutes. You want a deep brown, almost blackened crust. Flip once and cook 3–4 minutes more for medium-rare — about 54°C / 130°F in the thickest part. Skirt steak is thin and races past done, so err on pulling it early.

7. 7

   Rest the steak on a board for a full 10 minutes. The juices redistribute; cut too soon and they flood the board.

8. 8

   While it rests, warm the tortillas: 20–30 seconds per side directly over a gas flame until soft with charred spots, or in a dry hot pan. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and pliable.

9. 9

   Find the direction of the muscle fibers in the steak (the 'grain') and slice thinly ACROSS it — this shortens the fibers and is the difference between tender and chewy. Then chop the slices into small taco-size pieces.

10. 10

    Build each taco on doubled tortillas: a generous pile of steak, a spoonful of diced onion, a pinch of cilantro.

11. 11

    Finish with salsa and a hard squeeze of lime. Serve immediately, with extra lime wedges and napkins.