Recipe for Oaxacan-style carne asada JULY 24, 2012

Recipe for Oaxacan-style carne asada

    JULY 24, 2012

Serves 4

You might not be able to re-create the atmosphere of the smoky alleyway in the Mercado 20 Noviembre, but carne asada at home couldn’t be easier. Grill skirt or flank steak and pork cutlet, then briefly grill tortillas. Add cilantro-flavored guacamole, lots of onion, and don’t worry too much about authenticity.

GUACAMOLE

2	ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and peeled
	Juice of ½ lime
⅓	cup water
	Handful fresh cilantro leaves
	Pinch of salt

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• In Oaxaca, you’ll find an alley offering smoky grilled meats

2. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate.1. In a food processor, combine avocados, lime juice, water, cilantro, and salt. Puree until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more lime juice, if you like.

MEAT

½	pound skirt steak or flank steak
½	pound boneless pork cutlet, trimmed of fat
1	teaspoon ancho chili powder, or anotherfavorite chili
1	large sweet onion, quartered
1	bunch scallions, tops trimmed
	Canola or vegetable oil (for sprinkling)
4	medium, mild green chilies, such as Anaheim
	Salt and pepper, to taste
8	large flour or corntortillas
1	bunch radishes, sliced
1	can or jar (16 ounces) nopales (in the Latin section of supermarkets)
2	ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium-high.

2. Pound the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap, using fresh sheets when switching meats. Cover both sides of the pork cutlet with chili powder. Transfer to a plate and cover. Refrigerate both meats.

3. In a bowl, combine the onion and scallions. Sprinkle with oil. Set on the grill rack with the chilies. Grill scallions for 5 minutes or until charred, chilies 3 minutes on a side, onions 10 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

4. Sprinkle the meats with salt and pepper. Set on grill rack and cook steak about 3 minutes on a side, pork about 4 minutes on a side or until both are cooked through.

5. Add the tortillas to the grill rack. Cook about 30 seconds on a side; stack on a plate.

6. Spread a little guacamole on a tortilla and add meat and vegetable. Garnish with radishes, nopales, and tomatoes.Luke Pyenson