Authentic Carne Asada Tacos

If you were to ask my husband what my favorite food on the planet is, without batting an eye he would immediately respond:

that woman sure loves her tacos. 

It's true. I found a Taco Bell gift card in my Christmas stocking this year and I just about had a heart attack, I was so happy! I crave tacos all the time. It's more than an addiction at this point, it's just a constant craving that never ever goes away. I could eat a plate of tacos, and crave them just the same the next day. 

Thankfully, for you dear friends, this means I've been around the block before with the dear Mexican masterpiece known as the taco. So I know if a recipe is worth trying, and repeating over and over again... and this one, my friends, is the new kind of taco-jackpot. 

I've had all the familiar food chains' version of the taco, and some of them are pretty awesome. My favorite restaurant thankfully has my favorite tacos of all time. But sometimes, darn it, I crave those sweet juicy street-side tacos. You know the ones... the taco truck or cart seems to look a little more than shady, and you're not quite sure if it's really the place you should park your stomach. But good heavens, stop and get the taco. Most of the time, it's more mouthwatering that you could have ever expected. And thie carne asada version is by far my favorite go-to choice. 

I've tried to replicate that beautiful taste over and over again, but recently I've discovered the very best. Darling Carianne over at Oh Sweet Basil  shared this recipe last year, and I regret not making it sooner! It's dynamite! The marinade is very simple, and uses ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen. You marinade that beautiful meat for as short or long as you'd like (I did ours overnight for the full-effect), toss it on the grill to perfection, and throw it into a corn tortilla with the most mouthwatering fixings you can find. 

My husband served in Houston Texas for 2 years for our church, and had some tacos as authentic as they come in people's homes, and he said that (besides the corn tortilla - wish I could have found fresh!) these carne asada tacos are RIGHT ON THE MONEY. He felt like he was back in Texas, in the member's homes, being fed tacos by the dozens. He was in heaven! 

For this taco-lover, I was well pleased, too, and already couldn't wait to plan our next batch!  

The BEST Carne Asada Tacos

makes enough for 8-9 small tacos

ingredients:

for the marinade/steak:

2 lbs flank steak

1/3 C apple cider vinegar

1/4 C soy sayce

1/4 C EVOO

2 t's cumin

1 1/2 t fresh ground pepper

2 t kosher salt

1 t chili powder

1 t onion powder

2 t oregano

2 t lime 

5 cloves garlic, minced

for the tacos:

queso fresco

pico de gallo

cilantro, chopped

guacamole

lime wedges for spritzing 

corn tortillas (try to find fresh, but you can use the packaged stuff if needed)

method:

1. marinade the meat: A day or at least 4-6 hours before grilling, whisk all ingredients together in a large flat tupperware with fitting lid, or a large freezer-style ziploc bag. Place the meat in the bag/container, shake/squish around, and then marinate in the fridge. 

2. grill the meat: (make sure all your toppings are ready before you grill up the meat. The meat tastes amazing when its served hot/warm). Heat a grill or a grill pan to medium heat. Cook on the first side for 4-6 minutes, then flip to the other side to cook another couple minutes. Don't overcook, or it tends to get dry and chewy. Under-cooking slightly is preferable with flank. After grilling, let sit (covered in aluminum foil) for a couple minutes while heating/grilling/cooking up the corn tortillas. 

3. assemble: Fill the tacos with the carne asada, and your choice of toppings. Serve alongside some cilantro lime rice or mexican rice. 

recipe source: Sweet Basil