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Carne Asada Tacos
with pico de gallo / zucchini spears

Active: 30 min Total: 50 min
Carne asada was a community member request and we were quickly won over by the citrus notes in the marinade of this flavorful steak. To round out this meal, add the steak to fresh, colorful tacos.
Smarts: Be sure to note the prep steps for the way you plan to cook your steak. If cooking on the stovetop, slice the steak before it is combined with the marinade. If cooking on the grill, marinate / cook the steak whole and slice afterwards to simplify the grilling process.
Tags
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Pico de Gallo:
  • Onions, medium and white - 1/2 , chopped
  • Jalapenos - 1 , chopped
  • Tomatoes, roma - 6 , chopped
  • Cilantro leaves - 2 Tbsp , chopped
  • Oil, cooking - 1 tsp
Carne Asada Tacos:
  • Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
  • Cilantro leaves - 1/4 cup , chopped
  • Steak, flank or skirt - 1 lb
  • Oil, olive - 1/4 cup
  • Limes - 1/2 , juice of
  • Oranges - 1 , juice of
  • Limes - 1/2 , wedges
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Cheese, queso fresco - 4 oz , crumbled (sub shredded Mexican Blend)
  • Tortillas, taco-sized and gluten-free - 8
Zucchini Spears:
  • Zucchini - 1 lb , sliced into spears
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
  • Paprika, regular or smoked - 1/2 tsp

Prep

  1. Garlic / Onions / Jalapenos - Prep as directed. Store garlic in one container. Combine onions and jalapenos in another container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Tomatoes / Cilantro (for pico and carne asada) / Zucchini - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
  3. Steak - If cooking on the stovetop, thinly slice steak against the grain. (Skip this step if cooking steak on the grill.) (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
  4. Marinate steak - Whisk together garlic, cilantro (portion for carne asada), olive oil, lime juice, and orange juice. Add steak and turn to coat in marinade. Tenderize steak with a fork. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
  5. Limes - Slice into wedges.

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Make

  1. If cooking on a grill: Heat grill to 500F / 260C degrees, leaving one part over direct heat and one part over indirect heat. Clean grates and brush with cooking oil (portion for asada).
  2. Combine onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro (portion for pico), and cooking oil (portion for pico). Season with some salt.
  3. Brush zucchini spears with cooking oil (portion for zucchini). Sprinkle with cumin and paprika. Season with some salt and pepper.
  4. Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade). Season with some salt and pepper.
  5. {Grill}: Place steak and zucchini over direct heat. Sear steak and zucchini on each side with the cover closed. When steak and zucchini have grill marks on both sides (this may happen at different times), move them to indirect heat and continue cooking with lid closed. Remove zucchini when tender. Cook steak until it reaches desired level of doneness. Medium-rare: 130F / 54C degrees (~3 minutes); Medium: 140F / 60C degrees (~6 minutes); Well-done: 160F / 71C degrees (~10 minutes).
  6. {Grill}: Let steak rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Then thinly slice against the grain.
  7. If cooking on the stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear zucchini on all sides, turning with tongs as it cooks, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Set zucchini aside and return pan to heat.
  8. {Stovetop}: To heated skillet, add cooking oil (portion for carne asada). Add steak and saute until steak is golden brown and cooked through, ~5 minutes. (Note: be careful not to crowd the pan so that the steak can properly brown. Cook in batches if needed.)
  9. Crumble queso fresco.
  10. Heat tortillas according to package directions.
  11. Assemble tacos by filling tortillas with steak, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. Squeeze lime wedges over top. Enjoy with zucchini.

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