Carne Asada
And / Or
Poblano + Carrot Hash Tacos
Ingredients
Serves: 6
2-3 lbs steak (see recommended cuts below)
2 large bunches carrots
5 poblano peppers
1-2 package corn OR flour torillas
1 head green cabbage
5-6 watermelon radish or similar radish
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
5 limes
1 lemon
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 dashes Worcester sauce
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
Fresh ground black pepper (5-6 good grinds)
4 cloves garlic
Chiltepin chili (native to the Sonoran Desert. Locate this beautiful chili at www.pivotproduce.com)
Prep
Take your steak out of the fridge and let thaw to room temp. Lightly salt with your favorite flake salt.
Recommended steak cuts: Flap, flank or sirloin
Recommended flake salts: Desert Provisions (Tucson, AZ)
While your steak is thawing, roast your poblano peppers. This process helps you remove the skin and get ride of any unwanted bitterness in your meal. If you have a stove, turn on the burner and roast your peppers directly over the flame, burning the skin on all sides. If you have an electric stove try using your BBQ for this step -OR- place a cast iron skillet on medium-high, flipping the peppers often to achieve similar results.
Place your charred peppers into a brown bag & allow them to steam for 15-20 minutes. Remove & scrape off the burnt skin, slice in half & remove the seeds/flesh from the middle.
Dice peppers and set aside.
In a food processor: mince carrots until finely chopped.
Mix poblano peppers with carrots, add oil, sea salt, cumin, & roast in the oven at 420 until done, usually between 40 min-1 hour depending on amount of food/altitude/type of oven.
Watermelon Radish & Cabbage
Clean & slice in half. Roast in the oven at 420 degrees until tender with your chosen flake salt & a little oil. When done, dice into small pieces, squeeze the juice from one lemon on top & serve on the table for toppings.With a kitchen mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the fresh cabbage for a garnish on your tacos. This provides a great crunch and goes well with the lemon & lime of the radish & chimichurri dishes.
Chimichurri
This sauce is the topping for your carne asada or carrot hash tacos.The fun part about Chimicurri… is… you get to make taste however you like. If you prefer one flavor over another, add more of that! Gather your ingredients: Parsley, cilantro, garlic, red chili flakes, limes, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Worcester sauce, sea salt, and black pepper. Mince parsley, cilantro & garlic. Place in a bowl with everything else. Mix well with a whisk & taste. Slowly add a little more of one ingredient or another to get your desired flavor. Let it sit aside to marinate before serving the meal. Note: A food processor does a great job mincing your fresh herbs & garlic for this sauce.
OK! Your chimichurri is done & your carrot + poblano hash is in the oven. It’s time to get your steak going. By now, it will be perfectly room temp, which means it’s going to cook evenly on whatever surface you choose.
Tips for cooking your Carne Asada - Always use a large chapa (iron skillet) that rests on top of my propane grill burners. I have a three burner Camp Chef stove & chapa that gets the job done right. Other options: Cast iron pan on top of your gas stove -OR- broil in the oven on high. Whichever way you choose: 6-7 minutes , depending on the thickness of your steak cut, is a great place to start for cooking your asada meat. If using a grill or cast iron pan on the stove, your asada is ready to turn when it picks up of the surface without anything sticking. Grab a cutting board & your best knife. Begin by cutting the asada into pieces “against the grain”.Once your asada is cut this way, then finish it by slicing it smaller into pieces. Place back into your mixing bowl, add a few dashes of Chiltepin Chili (a little goes a long way!) and put back on the stove in a cast iron pan or similar. Cook for another 3-4 minutes & serve hot!
