Ingredients (~6 servings)
Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 jumbo garlic cloves, smashed
- 3/4 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 3 chipotle chili peppers
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3/4 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 tsp Saigon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
Meat and Finishing
- 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak, cut in 2-3 large pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil for cooking
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Toast the Garlic and Cumin Seeds
Heat up 1 Tbsp of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the smashed garlic and roast for ~1 minute, stirring constantly; then add the whole cumin seeds and toast for another minute.
The garlic should be lightly browned and the cumin seeds will smell fragrant.
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Make the Marinade
Add the toasted garlic and cumin to a food processor along with the chipotle peppers, lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, salt, coriander, chipotle powder, cinnamon, cloves, and cilantro.
Blitz for a few seconds to break everything down, then slowly pour in the remaining oil while the processor is running.
You should end up with ~3/4 cup of marinade that’s relatively smooth but still has some texture.
Marinate the Steak
Place the skirt steak pieces in a large zip-top bag and pour in all the marinade.
Squeeze out the excess air, seal it shut, and massage the marinade into the meat.
Place on a cutting board and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours; flip the bag occasionally so everything marinates evenly.
The sugar in this marinade burns easily, so don’t go longer than 24 hours.
Sear the Steak
Allow the steak to come to room temperature for ~30 minutes before cooking.
Brush the oil on a cast iron grill pan or regular cast iron skillet and place over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering, ~2-3 minutes.
Carefully place one piece of skirt steak in the pan with tongs and sear for 1 minute without moving it.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 more minutes, then flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.
Check doneness with a meat thermometer – you want ~135F for medium-rare or ~145F for medium.
Skirt steak is thin so it cooks fast; repeat with remaining pieces.
Rest and Slice Against the Grain
Allow all the steaks to rest on a large cutting board tented with foil for at least 10 minutes.
This step is important – skipping the rest makes the meat tough.
Thinly slice against the grain using a sharp knife; angling your knife at 45 degrees makes the strips wider and more tender.
Drizzle with the lime juice and chopped cilantro right before serving.
Chipotle serves theirs in long strips, but you can cut them shorter for tacos and burritos if you prefer.
Chipotle Carne Asada
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 jumbo garlic cloves, smashed
- 3/4 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 3 chipotle chili peppers
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3/4 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3/4 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 tsp Saigon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
Meat and Finishing
- 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak, cut in 2-3 large pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil for cooking
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Toast garlic and cumin seeds in oil for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Blend toasted garlic, cumin, chipotle peppers, lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, spices, and cilantro in food processor.
- Slowly add remaining oil while processing to create marinade.
- Place skirt steak in zip-top bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate 2-24 hours.
- Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat cast iron pan with oil over medium-high heat.
- Sear steak 1 minute per side, then reduce heat and cook 2-3 minutes per side until medium-rare (135F).
- Rest steak 10 minutes tented with foil.
- Slice against the grain at 45-degree angle.
- Drizzle with lime juice and chopped cilantro before serving.