Carne Asada
& Rice-and-Bean Tacos
A taqueria-style family dinner. Two protein paths, one set of toppings, one shared celebration of corn tortillas.
Do this first · earlier in the day
§1 · The marinade
Build the marinade.
Then walk away.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lime juice (2–3 limes)
- ¼ cup orange juice, no pulp
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 lb flank steak (or skirt)
Method
- Whisk all marinade ingredients in a bowl, or just shake them in a large ziplock bag.
- Add the steak. Massage to coat well.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Ideally 6+ hours, even overnight. Long is better.
- Pull from the fridge ~20 minutes before grilling so it's not fridge-cold on the heat.
§2 · Day-of timing
Thirty minutes, three movements.
T–30 min
Toast rice. Bloom beans.
Two pots, side by side. Toast the dry rice in oil 5 min until golden and nutty, then aromatics + broth, cover and simmer. Beans: sauté onion, bloom cumin, then the whole can in. See §4 for both.
T–15 min
Prep the table.
While things simmer: chop more cilantro. Dice white onion. Cut limes. Mash avocados into quick guac with salt + lime. Set salsa & hot sauce out.
T–10 min
Grill the steak.
Grill or cast iron at medium-high. 3–5 min per side: 145°F medium-rare, 160°F medium. Warm tortillas on the dry skillet 30 sec/side.
T–0
Slice & serve.
Rest the steak 5–10 min under foil. Slice thin, against the grain. Bring everything to the table. Family style.
§3 · Two paths, one table
Build a taco.
The meat path
Carne asada tacos
- Double-stack two warm corn tortillas (the classic street move — second one catches the juice).
- Layer on sliced carne asada — thin, against the grain.
- Diced white onion + chopped cilantro.
- Squeeze of fresh lime.
- A few dashes of hot sauce. Salsa if you want more.
Vegan · dairy-free · GF
Rice & pinto bean tacos
- Warm corn tortilla (single — beans are saucier).
- Spoonful of toasted Mexican red rice.
- Spoonful of cumin-bloomed pinto beans, partially smashed.
- Guac or sliced avocado on top.
- Salsa + cilantro + lime. Done.
§4 · The foundation
Rice & beans, taken seriously.
For the vegan plate this is the meal — protein, comfort, everything. Don't half-ass them. Two simple upgrades over "open can, cook rice plain."
Mexican Red Rice · 25 min
Toasted, then simmered.
The whole trick is toasting the dry rice in oil before any liquid hits. Five minutes that turn rice into arroz.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed & dried
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch Mexican oregano
Method
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add rinsed, dried rice. Toast 4–5 min, stirring constantly, until grains turn golden and smell nutty.
- Add onion, cook 2 min. Garlic, cumin, oregano — stir 30 sec.
- Stir in tomato paste; coat the rice. 30 sec more.
- Pour in broth + salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, drop to lowest heat.
- Simmer 20 minutes, undisturbed. Don't peek.
- Off heat. Rest covered 10 min. Fluff with a fork.
Pinto Beans · 10 min · the protein star of the vegan plate
Bloom, smash, brighten.
Pintos take this technique even better than blacks — they smash creamy. Five small moves over "drain and warm" turn beans into the centerpiece of the vegan plate.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 can pinto beans, undrained
- 1 bay leaf (optional, big upgrade)
- ½ tsp salt, more to taste
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Method
- Heat oil over medium. Add onion, cook 3 min until soft.
- Garlic, cumin, chili powder. Stir 30 sec — bloom the spices.
- Pour in the whole can (with liquid) + bay leaf. Bring to a low simmer.
- Simmer 8–10 min. Smash about a third with the back of a spoon as it goes — the liquid thickens to a sauce.
- Off heat: salt to taste, lime juice, cilantro. Fish out the bay leaf.
§5 · The bar
Toppings, family style.
- Cilantro chopped fresh
- White onion fine dice
- Lime wedges
- Salsa
- Guac or sliced avocado
- Hot sauce Cholula or Tapatio
- Cotija skip if dairy-free
§6 · Chef's notes
- ✺Slice against the grain. Look at the muscle fibers in the steak and cut perpendicular to them. This is the single biggest tenderness lever.
- ✺Warm the tortillas. 30 seconds per side on a dry skillet. Cold tortillas crack and ruin the bite.
- ✺Leftover carne asada is gold next day — quesadillas, burritos, or just over rice with avocado.
- ✺For the vegan plate: pinto beans (not black — they sit better with sensitive stomachs) + Mexican red rice + guac is a complete protein and very filling.
- ✺Rinse & dry the rice before toasting. Excess starch turns toasting into steaming, and damp rice splatters in the oil. Pat with a clean dish towel after rinsing.
- ✺Don't lift the rice lid during the 20-minute simmer. Every peek loses steam and adds 2 minutes to the cook.