Carne asada is grilled and sliced

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

, usually

chuck steak Chuck steak is a cut of beef and is part of the sub-prime cut known as the chuck. The typical chuck steak is a rectangular cut, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones, and is often known as a " 7-bone steak," ...

(known as Diezmillo in Spanish), though

skirt steak Skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the plate. It is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness. It is not to be confused with hanger steak, a generally similar adjacent cut also from the plate. Though it is from a di ...

flank steak Flank steak is a cut of beef steak taken from the abdominal muscles of the cow, located just behind the plate and in front of the rear quarter. It is a long, flat cut with a significant grain, and is known for its bold flavor and chewiness. Te ...

can also be used. It is usually

marinated Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...

then

grilled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...

seared Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sautéing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat such as beef, poultry, pork, seafood) is cooked at high temperature until a browned crust forms ...

to impart a charred flavor. Carne asada can be served on its own or as an ingredient in other dishes. The term ''carne asada'' translates literally to "grilled meat"; the English-style dish "roast beef" is called by its English name in Spanish, so that each dish has a distinctive name. The term ''carne asada'' is used in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and refers to the style of grilled meat in those countries. In South America, the term used for grilled meat is '' asado'' and it has a different style and preparation.

Preparation

Carne asada can be purchased from meat markets either prepared (''preparada'', i.e., already marinated) or not (''no preparada''), for marinating at home. The meat is characteristically marinated in lime juice, salt, and Mexican seasonings, but may also be simply rubbed with salt or

spice rub Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made to be rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked. The spice rub forms a coating on the food. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate int ...

s such as

lemon pepper Lemon pepper (also called lemon pepper seasoning) is a seasoning made from granulated lemon zest and cracked black peppercorns. The lemon zest is mashed with the pepper to allow the citrus oil to infuse into the pepper. This mix is then baked an ...

, before

. After grilling it is typically chopped for filling tacos and burritos, which also minimizes toughness.

As an ingredient

Carne asada can be served as a main dish, but it is also commonly chopped up and used as an ingredient in other dishes. These popular dishes use ''carne asada'' as a main ingredient: * ''

Alambre Alambre () is a Mexican dish consisting of grilled beef topped with bell peppers, onions, cheese, salsa and, in some variations, avocado. It is usually served with freshly made corn or flour tortillas. The most common ingredient is beef, and oth ...

s *

Burrito A burrito (, ) is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed ...

s *

Carne asada fries Carne asada fries are a local specialty found on the menus of restaurants primarily in the American Southwest, including San Diego, where it originated. The dish is also served at Petco Park and Dodger Stadium. By 2015, fast food chain Del Taco ...

*''

Gordita A ''gordita'' () in Mexican cuisine is a dish made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings. It is similar to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. ''Gordita'' means "chubby" in Spanish. There are two main variations of this dis ...

s * ''Guaraches'' *

Nachos Nachos are a Mexican culinary dish consisting of fried tortilla chips or ''totopos'' covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken ...

Quesadilla A quesadilla (; ; Mexican diminutive of ''quesada'') is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Traditionally, a co ...

s * ''

Sope Sope may refer to: People * Barak Sopé (born 1951), Vanuatu politician * Sope Aluko (born 1975), Nigerian-born British American actress * Sope Dirisu (born 1991), British Nigerian actor * Sope Johnson * Sope Willams Elegbe (born 1975), Nigerian ...

s *

Taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filling ...

s * ''

Tortas Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelettes. Usually, it refers to: * cake or pie in South America, much of Europe, and southern Philippines * flatbread in Spain * ...

As an event

In Mexico and other countries in Central America, the phrase ''carne asada'' can also be used to describe a social event, the equivalent of a social

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

, where family and close friends gather.Carne Asada – This Latin American Tradition is Much More Than Just a Meal
/ref> Carne asada is especially popular in

northern Mexico Northern Mexico ( es, el Norte de México ), commonly referred as , is an informal term for the northern cultural and geographical area in Mexico. Depending on the source, it contains some or all of the states of Baja California, Baja California ...

, where it is considered a staple food. It is the most common dish served at parties, celebrations, and other events in northern Mexico.

Gallery

File:Carne asada.jpg, A carne asada taco File:carne-asada-burrito.jpg, A carne asada burrito File:Laredo Grill.jpg, Carne asada in

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carne Asada Barbecue Mexican cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine National dishes Beef steak dishes Mexican beef dishes es:Carne asada

Preparation

As an ingredient

As an event

Gallery

See also

References