Carne Asada (Easy Marinade)
This marinade makes cheap flank steak taste like a $50 restaurant plate. I'm serious. Flank steak is one of the most affordable cuts at the grocery store — tough, lean, and overlooked by everyone reaching for ribeyes and filets. But give it a proper marinade, cook it screaming hot, and slice it against the grain, and it transforms into something tender, flavourful, and deeply satisfying. Carne asada is the Mexican tradition of grilling marinated beef, and it's the recipe that taught me cheap cuts aren't inferior cuts — they're just cuts that need more love.
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 pounds flank steak or skirt steak
- Juice of 3 limes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika the Polish Mom signature
- Salt and pepper
Method
Marinate
- Combine all marinade ingredients. Pour over the steak in a bag or dish. Refrigerate 2-8 hours. The acid from the lime juice breaks down tough fibres and infuses flavour deep into the meat. Two hours is minimum. Eight hours is ideal. Overnight works too but don't go past 12 hours — too much acid starts to "cook" the surface and turns it mushy.
Cook
- Remove steak from marinade and pat dry. Season with extra salt. Heat your grill, cast iron skillet, or broiler to the highest possible heat. Cook 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare (130F / 54C internal). The key is aggressive heat — you want a deep char on the outside while the inside stays pink and juicy. Don't touch it while it cooks. Flipping constantly prevents crust formation. Place it, walk away, flip once, walk away again.
Rest and Slice
- Rest 10 minutes on a cutting board. This is non-negotiable — cutting immediately releases all the juices onto the board instead of keeping them in the meat. After resting, slice AGAINST the grain into thin strips. The grain in flank steak is visible — long muscle fibres running in one direction. Cutting against (perpendicular to) those fibres shortens them, making each bite tender instead of chewy. This one technique is the difference between great carne asada and disappointing carne asada.