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On Posted on by Tim to Mains, Mexican

Carne Asada Street Tacos

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Carne Asada Street Tacos

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Carne asada street tacos are just one of my favorite culinary gifts from Mexico. We have several local restaurants and tacquerias here that I label authentic based upon my trip to Mexico City last summer. I call myself lucky.

Learning to Love Tacos

Writing this made me reflect on my first taco experience. Two friends stationed in San Diego with the Navy were discharged from service and returned home. They regaled us with tales of Mexican food which was quite exotic at the time. We’re talking late 60’s in the heartland of America where Italian was the only known ethnic food. They were particularly enamored with a little joint called Taco Bell. I remember the first local franchise opened soon thereafter and we thought we were eating real Mexican food. I admit I loved them and they taught me to like tacos. As our southern neighbors immigrated and began moving northeast we experienced more and more tex-mex, then the real thing.

So you might ask why, if I have access to the real thing, I would want to make my own. The answer is simple. Leftovers. I had a lot of prime rib from Christmas dinner, because my eyes were bigger than our collective stomachs. Carne asada street tacos sounded like a good way to finish off that prime rib. Although flank steak is more commonly used and tenderized by marinating, prime rib is tender enough on it’s own. All it needs is generous seasoning while cooking.

  • Author: TJ

Ingredients

Scale

Street Tacos

  • 12 oz prime rib
  • 16 soft corn street tacos
  • Olive oil
  • 1–1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic – minced
  • Fresh squeezed juice of 1/2 lime
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Tapatio salsa picante – on the side

Prime rib sliced Prime rib chopped

Pico de Gallo

  • 1 roma tomato – diced
  • 1/4 yellow onion – diced – equal volume to the tomato
  • 1 small jalapeno – seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro – to taste
  • Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lime
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Pico de Gallo

Make this at least 4 hours in advance or overnight

  1. Dice and chop the ingredients
  2. Mix gently in a small bowl
  3. Squeeze the lime juice over the mixture
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste
  5. Mix, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pico de Gallo

Street Tacos

  1. Slice and chop your prime rib and set aside
  2. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl and set aside
  3. Prepare your corn tacos by toasting in a non-stick pan with a few drops of oil in batches until lightly browned on medium heat. Set them aside in a covered warm pan until ready to serve
  4. Pour  a teaspoon of olive oil into a sautee pan and heat until shimmering
  5. Add the beef and the spices
  6. Stir until well combined
  7. Cook on medium high heat, turning and mixing until it reaches your desired level of doneness. I prefer medium well done.
  8. Squeeze juice of the remaining half lime on the meat
  9. Warm the tortillas @ 350, wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven, or in a hot skillet for 20-30 seconds per side
  10. Remove from heat to prevent burning and assemble the tacos
  11. Serve the pico de gallo and the salsa picante on the side with quartered limes

Toasted taco carne asada street taco cooked beef

carne asada street tacos 1 carne asada street tacos 2

And just one more thing…

These go down particularly well with a Victoria, affectionately called a “Vickie” south of the border. I can get them here at my favorite tacqueria. My how the world has changed.

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