One thing that G and I miss from San Fran is the plethora of taquerias and taco trucks. There’s nothing quite so tasty as a juicy carne asada taco with a side of fresh pico de gallo and a lime. So when we had some uncooked tenderloin, I thought to whip us up a reminder of home. Since G prefers a bit more “ingredients”, I decided to make fajitas instead. The most important components for a good fajita (to us) are the guacamole, pico de gallo, and of course the carne asada. Other nice-to-haves include sauteed onions and bell peppers, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
Carne Asada
Typically a cheaper cut of beef, namely flank steak, is used since the marinade will soften the meat after a few hours. No Recipes has a great recipe, especially if you plan to use it for tacos, check it out here. Since I’m making fajitas and will have salsa and guacamole, I prefer to use a simpler marinade.
- 1 kg flank steak
- 1 large orange, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, mashed
- a few sprigs cilantro
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and marinade the beef. For tenderloin, an hour or two will do. Flank steak at least 4-8 hours. If in a rush, a tablespoon of fresh squeezed kiwi will help speed up the process. Kiwi contains an enzyme that helps to tenderize meat.
Guacamole
This is one of my favorite sides as it goes well with many types of dishes, and it’s really easy to make. Mix everything but the avocado together. Mash the avocado into a paste and then combine.
- 1 ripe avocado
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs lime juice
- 1 tbs serrano chile, chopped
- a few sprigs cilantro
- salt & pepper to taste
Pico de Gallo
Also known as salsa fresca, this is a standard condiment with many variations (and spiciness level). You can spend $10+ for a small plastic tub in the supermarket. Save some money and start with experimenting with the basic recipe provided below. Combine all ingredients and let sit an hour for the flavors to develop.
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 1/2 jalapeno, or similar pepper
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- a few sprigs cilantro
- salt & pepper to taste
Mmmmmm. Looks utterly yummy! I’ve always wanted to try making guacamole. Shall try out your recipe!
~A
(P.S If a username the lilskibunnythatcldnt turns up, I don’t know why. That was my old wp account and it’s still linked to my current and I’m afraid that deleting it will mess up my current.)
Hi A,
Recipe proportions for the guac might need a bit of fine-tuning, so I’d suggest making a larger batch of the shallot-lime juice-spice mixture first and then scoop it in batches to the mashed avocados to taste. And be sure that the avocados are ripe (once you halve them, the skin should separate cleanly without much effort)… enjoy!
(and will keep an eye out for any odd nicknames that pop up lol. I’m not familiar with how the wp authentication system works either)