Description
Quick and easy, 30-minute Carne Asada. This dish is complemented with the best sauce, Venezuelan Guasacaca. Guasacaca is creamy, fresh, tangy, and delicious! Perfect for drizzling over grilled meats, dipping, or spreading!
Ingredients
Units
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Easy Carne Asada Seasoning (Dry rub) ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon of Sweet Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon of Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 pound Skirt Steak (taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking)
Guasacaca Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 a bunch of fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 ripe Avocado peeled and seeded
- 1/2 medium red Onion, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of White Vinegar
- 1/4 cup of Water
- 2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil (not Olive oil)
- 3/4 teaspoon of Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Step 1 - Seasoning the meat
- Take the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting cooking.
- Make the Carne Asada seasoning: Mix all dry rub seasoning ingredients together. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel, and press the rub on the steak with your fingers on all sides. Let it rest.
Step 2 -Make the “Guasacaca Venezolana” Sauce
- Here is the best part! This Venezuelan salsa is so easy. All you need to do is throw all ingredients in a blender and process until they are nicely blended and the sauce has a smooth, homogenous, and creamy consistency. Adjust the salt and pepper to your preference. Let the sauce sit at room temperature for the flavors to meld while you cook the meat.
- For more info about Venezuelan Guasacaca Sauce, check out this Guasacaca Post.
Step 3 -Grill the meat
- Skirt steak is optimally grilled to medium-rare because the meat continues to cook once removed from the grill.
- Fire up your grill to preheat. Charcoal (or wood, if you can) is the best grilling method for carne asada.
- When your grill is fiery, place the steak on the grill to sear. Skirt steak is a thin cut, so it will cook very quickly.
- Grill 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Do not cut it until it has rested for 10 minutes to allow the juices to stay in the meat.
- After the meat has rested, transfer it to a cutting board and cut the skirt steak against the grain in diagonal 1/4“ – 1/2” strips. Drizzle with Guasacaca, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- What meat to use - Skirt steak is great for grilling as it has the right amount of fat that contributes to the flavor and juiciness, plus it’s the right size for one family meal. If you can’t find Skirt Steak, use Flank or Flatiron. Or any steak you love!
- Other sauce options – I recommend you stick to Guasacaca for this recipe. Still, if you’d like to try another great condiment, check out this Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce. You will absolutely love it.
- What to serve with carne asada? You can serve anything with Carne Asada. A fresh salad and corn on the cob. Rice and Beans, or over Corn Tortillas topped with some Cotija cheese and more Guasacaca for a simple taco.
- No grill? No problem, use a Cast Iron Skillet over the stovetop. Heat on high to sear the meat, then lower the heat to finish cooking. Watch for the smoke from that hot skillet! Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until the desired level of doneness is reached.
- Storage - The Carne Asada leftovers can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The best reheating method is adding oil to a skillet and heating the meat until nice and crispy.
The Guasacaca is best stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. It will keep fresh and green for about 4-5 days. Take out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before serving. - Make-ahead - Season the meat with the dry rub a day ahead and grill the day of serving. You can double the recipe for meal prep.
