Carne Asada Tacos

I never thought that at the age of 25, I'd be a workaholic. Alas, the day has come. Or, I should say, the months have come. The year has gone by, and it's officially going to be a year and two months in October for me at Stitch Fix. I guess I've never cared for a job so much that I truly don't mind staying at work until 8pm sometimes. But that day is now, and I seem to have lost my time. My time to read, my time to unwind, my time to just do me. I have a stack of probably 20 magazines that date back to May that remain in their plastic, and I sincerely can't think of a time in my life where I haven't had time to read my food magazines.

I have been traveling quite a bit for personal trips, and I finally had a night I could just go grocery shopping and relax. Whole Foods had one pre-sliced package of carne asada left, so I snatched that up quicker than you read that sentence. I knew I needed to buckle down and just cook this week. I found a lovely Tyler Florence recipe online from Food Network that allowed me to use my mortar and pestle, and the rest was history.

I had my friends Bri and Erik over to help. It's amazing how much faster things get done in the kitchen when you have help. They are clearly hard at work. I totally didn't have corn tortillas so I just used one flour one and made a mini burrito. Whatever floats your boat, you know. You can find the original recipe here. 

Ingredients:
2 lbs skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
1 recipe Mojo, recipe follows
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 corn tortillas
Chopped white onion, for serving
Shredded jack cheese, for serving
1/2 cup pico de gallo, recipe follows
2 limes, cut in wedges for serving

Mojo:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Pico De Gallo:
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, skin chopped and meat thrown out
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 jalapeño, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
1. Lay the steak in a large baking dish and pour the mojo over it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours, so the flavors sink into the meat. Don't marinate the steak for more than 8 hours, or else the fibers break down too much and the meat gets mushy

2. Preheat your broiler. Pull the steak out of the mojo marinade and season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Broil the steak for 16-18 minutes, until medium-rare.

3. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

4. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable

5. Make your tacos as you wish. I smeared avocado at the bottom of mine and loaded it up with pico. Boom.

Mojo Directions:
In a mortar and pestle or bowl, mash together the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper to make a paste. Put the paste in a glass jar or plastic container. Add the lime juice, vinegar, and oil. Shake it up really well to combine. Use as a marinade for beef or as a table condiment.

Pico De Gallo Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly. Let is sit for 15 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to marry.