Marinated + Grilled Carne Asada Tacos

• 1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs

For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced or mandolined
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon canned chipotle in adobo, half tablespoon sauce from the can, half tablespoon chopped up pepper from the can
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika, sweet or mild variety
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin

For serving:

• Tortillas, charred over stovetop flame and kept warm until serving
• Finely chopped white onion, kept raw
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro
• Optional: mild tomatillo salsa

• The Flank Steak: Sub in a skirt steak.
• The Soy Sauce , Tamari, + Worcestershire: Use all soy/tamari or all worcestershire if needed. If you’re gluten free or have a seafood allergy, double check the ingredients on the worcestershire, as many have anchovies and a barley malt vinegar.
• Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce: This is an absolute pantry staple for me - you can often find it in the same section of the grocery store that has canned tomatoes and/or jarred salsas and peppers. I usually go for the Embasa brand. In every can, there are smoked chipotle peppers sitting in sweet, spicey, smokey red sauce. The peppers are full of seeds and pack a lot of heat and the sauce is a bit more mild. I do half a tablespoon of the sauce from the can, half a tablespoon from a chopped up pepper. If you can’t find it just leave it out, or add another half tablespoon of chili powder and another half tablespoon of sweet paprika.
• The Tortillas: Promise me you'll heat your tortillas over a stovetop flame, or a skillet that's hot enough to get them a little color. You are simply not allowed to serve this with tortillas straight from the package!! Do yourself a favor and order some Caramelo pork or duck fat taco-sized tortillas right this instant.

Prep steak + marinade 

1. Remove flank steak from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to shallow, rectangular baking dish, set aide.
2. In medium sized mixing bowl whisk together all marinade ingredients until evenly incorporated. Pour marinade over steak, being sure to flip steak over and rub marinade all over. *As a note, if you don’t have a shallow dish for marianting, simply marinate steak in very large ziplock bag, or bowl covered in plastic wrap, being sure to turn it occasionally while marinating to ensure all sides get submerged.

Marinate steak

1. Tightly cover baking dish with plastic wrap for an airtight seal, and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours.

Cook steak

1. Pull baking dish with marinated steak from fridge about 30 minutes before grilling.
2. Preheat grill, or cast iron skillet or grill pan to medium-high heat.
3. Remove excess marinade from steak and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Press steak onto grill with grill-safe tongs for a good sear, leaving it for about 4-5 minutes before flipping it to the other side, pressing down again with tongs. Grill second side for another 4-5 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads at 125* F in the thickest part of the steak for medium-rare.
5. Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak at an angle against the grain. The grain refers to the direction that the muscle fibers run - you want to slice against to cut through those fibers, makes them shorter, and much more tender.

Finish + serve

1. Enjoy thinly sliced steak in salads, in bowls, or on its own. If serving in tacos, slice steak into even smaller, bite-sized pieces, and distribute into warmed tortillas. Optional: crisp up bite-sized steak in a cast iron skillet for extra caramelization before spooning into tacos. Top with diced raw white onion, lots of fresh juicy lime, and chopped fresh cilantro. If you can get your hands on a really good tomatillo salsa, put it in a bowl at the table for serving. Enjoy tacos while warm.

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