Sunday Gravy with yeah right: Carne Asada From Scratch!

Hola everyone!

Happy Sunday morning and all of that good shit.

Despite the weather playing the part of a gloomy, misty dickhead the last, say 8 months or so I figured it was about goddamn time we fired up that grill!

We are once again making some carne asada today. Mainly because it’s fucking delicious and secondly because it’s been almost 8 months since I’ve had something cooked on a grill.

If you remember back in the deep, dark, ugly depths of the early part of the pandemic we made carne asada then too.

While that recipe was fantastic, I mean fucking SERIOUSLY fantastic, I thought I could make it even better with a couple of quick tweaks to the recipe. You’ll see.

Call this shit “Carne 2.0.”

These will be some interesting tweaks too I promise.

Shall we get started then?

GOOD!

For a side dish instead of making the standard pinto beans for this meal I thought we could do some black beans. 

You know how this bean story goes.

Score some beans.

Standard rinse and sort process next.

Go ahead and give these an overnight soak in a pot full of water. Why the hell not? Sometimes I do this other times I don’t. Ain’t no rhyme or reason. I did notice that you need a lot less water to finish cooking the beans if you give them the overnight soak. Adjust accordingly.

Now we procure the meat for our carne asada but UNSEASONED this time.

Yes, this stuff has gotten stupid expensive lately. Back when I got into the carne asada game this meal was known for being very inexpensive and was perfect for feeding a large crowd at an outdoor cookout but at 13 bucks a goddamn pound?!? I like you folks and all but Jesus Christ!

Let’s see what we’re working with for that 13 fucking dollars a pound.

That’s some bloody goodness alright. Again, this is boneless beef flap meat sometimes designated as “For carne asada” and it’s becoming much easier to find in the big basic grocery stores. No shit it’s easier to find when they can foist a cheap cut of meat on your ass for 13 fucking bucks a pound.

Grab a one gallon freezer bag and let’s get to marinating.

Toss your meat in the bag first then chop up an entire bunch of cilantro and add it in.

An entire thinly sliced onion next right on top there. While you’re at it mince up 4-5 cloves of garlic and add them too.

Mince up a jalapeno or two then toss it in next.

Now we get to work on the “secret” ingredients.

First? A little of this.

Yes, those are chipotles in adobo. Grab one big fat one and mince it up. Get into the bag damn you!

Then the seasonings.

This would include:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Now you’re probably going to think I’m losing it here with these next ingredients but stay with me.

Half a cup each of cooking oil and soy sauce.

Yes. Soy sauce or “salsa de soya”.

Now here’s the part where you’re going to say “Motherfucker finally went off the goddamn deep end.”

Sunny Delight, I says.

You’ll probably need between one to two cups.

See if you can find a smaller bottle, I only used a couple of cups and I sure as SHIT ain’t drinking the rest of this nastiness. It’s motherfucking TANG! That’s all it is.

Any of the rest of you older folks remember Tang? That powdered shit that “The astronauts drank?” Yes it was nasty but there’s something about using it in this marinade that just fucking WORKS!

A few years back we had a favorite carneceria and I swear one time I was at the butcher counter watching one of the butchers prepare a batch of carne asada and he was pouring this shit right on top just like we’re doing. I used to drive like 20 miles round trip just for their carne asada too so that had to be the answer.

Anyway seal that baggie thing tight and bag this shit up.

Into the fridge for an overnight nap.

Next day let’s get them beans started. 

I know I don’t have to give out the bean recipe again. Only difference is these will be vegan because I’m using half of this pot of beans in my southwest vegan soup which was the soup currently in my work week vegetarian soup rotation.

Time to take the marinating meat out of the fridge to take the chill off.

Notice how the marinade has been fully absorbed into the meat? This shit is going to kick some righteous ass.

Time to meet a new player in our Mexican food cocina.

These are fresh raw tortillas. Perfect for when you want a homemade type taste but don’t feel like making your own tortillas from scratch. Very tasty indeed. You can find these – sometimes – in your refrigerated dairy section at your neighborhood supermarket. Although if we’re being honest this availability might just be because I live in Southern California too.

Start yourself up a charcoal fire. FIRST OF THE SEASON! Get that fucker good and hot.

Then slap some meat on there.

See the difference in the color and texture when compared to the raw meat? That’s one marinated motherfucker right there.

Just a couple of quick minutes per side is all.

Sorry about the amateur hour photo there with the goddamn finger in the way.

When all of the meat has been grilled you have yourself a proper pile of carnage.

You can certainly start chowing down immediately if you like but we like to finish the meat with a quick sear in a skillet. This comes from eating a ton of carne asada at the killer taco shops in San Diego county. If they can turn out meat that delicious using this technique then dammit it’s good enough for me.

Here, I’ll show you. You’re going to need to slice up all of that lovely grilled steak. Go thin cut and be sure to slice against the grain.

Like this here.

Then into the skillet it goes over a medium heat.

Proceed to cook until about a medium done-ness. Just a couple of minutes here. 

Kind of makes you want to just dive in face first doesn’t it?

Let’s go ahead and warm up the tortillas.

Dry clean skillet. No oil needed.

Warm until it starts to puff up a bit.

Turn them over and repeat

The tortillas will be done when they get the familiar light brown or golden toasted spots on them.

Get that thing on a plate. Fucking starving over here!

I think I’ve mentioned this before but the very reason that I created this lovely concoction…

was specifically for carne asada. More specifically to try to mimic the hot sauce served at the aforementioned San Diego county taco shops. If I’m being completely honest? This shit is so much better than their hot sauce now it’s almost criminal to compare the two.

I’ll show you how I build my carnage plate.

I take a tortilla, pile on a good bit of the meat, top with some chile tepin, a little sprinkling of cheese, get a scoop of beans on there and repeat with the “chile tepin then cheese” thing.

Hell yes.

Brother TAJ has his own method with the tortilla then some grilled meat and a little fresh homemade pico de gallo that he makes himself.

Then a scoop of beans and more pico.

This meal will require basically an entire vat of beer.

Dear savory Jesus is this delicious. FUCK! It’s got all of the savory, spicy, smoky, salty, juicy elements of your standard carne asada but that damn Sunny Delight trick just does something to the meat. This is quite possibly the best carne asada I’ve ever had. I think it’s because using fresh fruit juices alters the texture of the meat a little too much.

This is perfect. You add in those delicious black beans and that kick ass chile tepin on top?

Hold me.

Carne asada Valhalla over here!

I’m sure that having my first taste of charcoal grilled tastiness in almost a goddamn year contributed too but DAMN!

You really need to try this and I ain’t just throwing bullshit around. Please give this a taste. You’ll be very happy with the results.

We’re closing in on July folks. Pushing our way through the long NFL offseason just fine.

Glad to have you people here. Truly. I appreciate every one of you.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let’s do this again next week.

Alright?

It’s a date.

PEACE!