The Hands Down Best Cut Of Beef For Carne Asada

A charred batch of smoky carne asada that's rich with earthy spices has heaps of culinary uses. Stuff it into tacos and burritos, add it to loaded fries, or simply serve it as is to enjoy its buttery richness. While there are plenty of seasonings that lend carne asada its characterful flavor, it's the quality and variety of beef that's paramount. The hands down best cut of beef for this iconic dish is skirt steak because of its large surface area and meaty flavor.

Because skirt steak is a long, thin cut of beef, it's perfect for absorbing all the flavor of a carne asada marinade. A typical marinade consists of minced garlic, fresh herbs, chili, ground spices, and a few liquid ingredients, such as citrus and olive oil (in this recipe for carne asada, the meat is actually steeped in Coca-Cola, which acts as a tenderizer and encourages caramelization). Skirt steak also grills quickly due to its slender character, which means there's little chance of it drying out as it cooks through to the middle. Courtesy of its generous surface area, the meat is able to develop a scrumptious and even char at speed, creating a mixture of inviting textures and flavors. Most other cuts of steak can't be cooked through as quickly because of their thickness, nor do they absorb wet marinades as readily. Flank steak makes a good sub because it's wide and flat, but it doesn't have as much marbling to provide flavor.

If you know your meat cuts, you might already be aware that there are two types of skirt steak. The first is the inside skirt, which comes from inside the chest wall of the cow; and the second is billed as the outside skirt, which comes from the diaphragm. Outside skirt is thicker, buttery in texture, and more tender than inside skirt because it has less connective tissue, which is why it's often set aside for restaurants. The fat on the surface of outside skirt also renders down and crisps up on the grill, producing lots of caramelized texture and bite.

Both varieties of skirt steak can be used to make carne asada, you just need to keep an eye on a batch made with inside skirt because it's thinner and can become chewy if overcooked. Having said that, marinating the meat in acidic ingredients like lime juice or vinegar usually eliminates the risk of dryness because they act as tenderizers that break down the tight muscle fibers. Seeing as both inside and outside skirt are naturally thinner than other steaks, a tenderizing marinade also penetrates all the way through, ensuring every bite has plenty of punchy flavor and texture.