Like pizza and sex, carne asada is pretty damn good even when it's bad. But rarely does Mexico's quintessential dish—and most ubiquitous taco filling—reach its full potential. And that's because most places use cheap cuts of overcooked meat, throw them in a tortilla, and cover them in enough lime, onion and cilantro to be relatively inoffensive.So how do you make carne asada that would make your Mexican grandmother proud? Easy. Don't use cheap cuts of meat. Shell out for the good stuff.Once you've selected a quality skirt steak, it's pretty hard to fuck up. The beauty of carne asada is in its simplicity, and this recipe is about as simple as it gets.
Just throw your steak in a bowl and marinate for a few hours in a mixture of soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, and beer—preferably something dark and Mexican. Then give it some fire. It's so good, you don't even need a tortilla, let alone lime juice.When you're done, transfer to a cutting board, slice it up and prepare to watch grandma cry tears of joy.RECIPE: Mexicali-Style Carne Asada