Oil for the grill and to slick the meat and onions
1poundgreen onions
18flour tortillas
1/2cupchopped cilantro,for garmish
2cupsshredded cabbage
1large cucumber, sliced (optional)
Limes and the hot salsa of your choice(see below)
Instructions
SALSA
Put all the ingredients for the salsa except for the salt in a blender and puree. Add enough water to make the salsa pourable, blend again, then salt it to taste. Keep it cool while you get everything else ready.
TACOS
Salt the steak well while you get your grill ready. If you're using a thick steak like a ribeye, leave it out to come to room temperature. If a thin steak like flank, skirt, flat iron or hanger, leave it in the fridge.
Once the coals are ready, scrape off any residue, then wipe the grates with half of an onion, if you have one. Then dip a paper towel in oil or melted fat (beef fat is ideal), and wipe down the grates. Pat the steaks dry and slick with a little oil. Lay them on the hottest part of the grill.
Slick the green onions with oil, salt them, then grill alongside the meat.
Grill the steaks to the doneness you like; remember you can always cook it more if you're unsure. I prefer to flip only once to get good sear marks. Generally speaking, you'll want thin steaks on the hot part of the grill the whole time, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Ribeyes need that, plus more time on the cooler side of the grill.
Move the meat to a cutting board to rest, and grind black pepper over it. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before chopping for tacos. Remember when doing this that you want bits -- slices tend to pull out of the tortilla when you're eating them.
To build a proper Sonoran carne asada taco, fill a warm flour tortilla with meat, then add some shredded cabbage and maybe some cilantro, some of the avocado salsa, then some hot salsa. Cucumber slices and the green onions go on the side, to eat between tacos.
Notes
Keep in mind this recipe will work with any sinew-free red meat, from beef and venison to lamb, bison or whatever.
Keys to Success
First, read the headnotes to this post! They lay everything out.
If you can get it, use mesquite charcoal or wood for this. Mesquite is made for tacos al carbon.
Have the salsas and the garnishes made before you put the meat on the grill.
If you are buying your tortillas, go to a Latin market and look in the fridge or freezer: Sometimes they have excellent pre-made flour tortillas that will still need to be finished on a comal. These are way better than shelf stable ones.
Grind pepper. It's a thousand times better than pre-ground. And with meat this simple, you'll notice.
If for some weird reason you have leftover meat, it is great mixed with melty cheese in fried empanadas.