Mexican Cooking Challenge

This blog seems to be an every-now-and-then-when-I-have-time-and-when-I-make-something-good type of blog.  So, after a 2 month hiatus, I have another post.

I subscribe (thanks to my loving dad) to Saveur magazine (www.saveur.com).  This is a fantastic cooking magazine that provides me with recipes from around the world.  What I love about Saveur is that there are not only recipes, but articles describing the region of the world from which the dish came.  The most recent issue is all about Mexican cuisine.  Now, if you know TS and me, you know that after seafood, we love Mexican, Central American and South American food.  It is almost our go-to comfort food.  So, this issue of Savuer really piqued our interest.  The cover was even so appealing that TS opened it up and started reading it.

After making one dish from this issue last night, I have now decided it is my goal for the winter to not only perfect my pie crust (another story for another time) but to also make each recipe in this magazine.  The dish last night was carne asada (steak tacos). 

Carne asada was actually a really easy and quick dish to prepare.  What I love about making steak like this is the fact that it has to marinate.  Marinating means you can do other stuff while your meat gets all yummified.  This marinade also allowed me to pull out my blender, which I love but rarely use.  I didn't let the steak marinate a long as the recipe called for because it was late when I started and I was hungry.  Instead of letting it marinate for an hour, I only let it marinate for 40  mins. It still turned out well. 

This meal, after the marinade was made (which only took me about 15 mins to make), only took about 30 mins to cook and put on the table.

Here is the recipe for Carne Asada from Saveur Magazine - somewhat altered by me.

INGREDIENTS
4 cloves garlic, peeled (keep whole)
3 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
6 canned chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped
1 large white onion, sliced crosswise into ¾"-thick rings
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
2 limes
1 ½ lb. trimmed skirt steak, cut into 4 steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 jalapeño, halved and stemmed
Warm tortillas, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat an 8" skillet over high heat; add garlic, and cook, turning as needed, until charred all over, about 12 minutes.

2. In a blender puree charred garlic, chipotles, small chopped onion, and juice from 2 limes.

3. In a 9" x 13" baking dish add steaks. Pour puree over and toss steaks in marinade to coat; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

4. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium hot. (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat -- THIS IS WHAT I DID BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE) Brush marinade from steaks and transfer to the grill; cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for medium. Transfer steaks to a cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes.  NOTE: I cooked mine on medium-high heat in a grill pan for 6 minutes on each side and it came out medium rare. 

5.While steak is resting, place remaining onion and jalapeño on grill (or in grill pan), and cook, turning as needed, until charred and softened, about 10 minutes.

6. Finely chop steaks after resting for 5 mins, and place in medium sized mixing bowl.

7. Finely chop browned/charred onions & jalapeno and add to chopped steak.

8. Toss grilled vegetables and steak in bowl.

9. Serve with tortillas, lime wedges and salsa verde on the side. I did not have time or the ingredients to make salsa verde, but I did have regular red salsa so I served the steak with that.

I ended up serving this meal with black beans and a salad.  It was a great meal and I am looking forward to making the next dish from Saveur.