Carne asada

I discovered that the butcher I usually go to carries flank steak a while ago. The price was appealing, so I picked up a slab and made carne asada with it.

Carne asada is a fairly simply dish to make. The trick for great flavour is to let the flank steak soak in the marinade for at least four hours and preferably overnight.

Carne asada with baby gems and sautéed potatoes

Ingredients for the marinade

⅓ C extra virgin olive oil
¼ C tamari
2 limes, juiced
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin seed (if have whole, toast and then grind)
4 garlic cloves (4 tsp), minced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stems, finely chopped

Other ingredients

600-900 g flank steak
Trimmings: avocado, lettuce, lime wedges, pico de gallo salsa, rice, tortilla, taco

Instructions

1. In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tamari, lime juice, cider vinegar, sugar, cumin, and black pepper. Stir in the garlic, chile pepper, and coriander. 
   
2. Place the flank steak in the marinade and turn over a few times to coat thoroughly. Leave the steak in the marinade in the fridge cover overnight (or at least 4 hours).
   
3. When ready to cook, heat a cast iron grill pan on high heat on the stove-top. The pan needs to be very hot for the meat to sear properly and quickly, so make sure the stove vent is on and that the windows are open if possible.
   
4. Remove the steak from the marinade. Lightly brush off most of the bits of coriander and garlic but don't brush off the oil.
5. Grill the steak on high heat for a few minutes until well seared on one side and then turn over and sear the other side.
   
6. Lower the heat and finish cooking till the desired doneness (flank is best when rare). Test with a meat thermometer: (46℃ - 49℃ for rare, 52°C for medium rare, 60°C for medium).
   
7. Place the steak on a cutting board and tent with foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
8. In the meantime, pour the remaining marinade into the grill or a saucepan and heat to reduce.
9. Once the meat has rested sufficiently, use a sharp, long bladed knife to slice the steak perpendicularly to the grain of the meat. Angle knife so that the slices are wide and thin.
10. Pour the sauce over the sliced steak and serve with desired trimmings.
    

This is packed full of flavour, a great combination of heat, sweetness, and sharpness. I especially love the cumin in the marinade. The first time I made this, I served it with baby gems and sautéed potatoes, and Husband licked the plate clean. The second time, I paired it with (left-over) potato mash and grilled asparagus and baby corn. Again, the plates were licked clean. Carne asada would make you do that.