Carne Asada Tacos with Avocado Cream

Back in February I made some very simple and tasty fish tacos. They went over so well that I thought they’d be a fun idea for a casual dinner party, sort of a do-it-yourself affair: a pan of spice-rubbed cod in the center of the table surrounded by stacks of warm corn tortillas and bowls of toppings. So when Erik and Emily came over for dinner on Saturday, I decided to kick it up a notch and add carne asada to the menu. 
 
That ended up being a very good idea.
 
Carne asada, a dish with roots in Northern Mexico, literally means “roasted meat.” A thin cut of beef, usually flank or skirt steak, is either seasoned with salt and pepper or marinated, and then grilled over hot coals. I took the marination route and used a concoction of citrus juices, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. After a few hours in the fridge, that steak was ready to be grilled, sliced and piled into tortillas. Pretty darn simple. 
 
As for toppings, they included the usual suspects: cabbage slaw, Cotija cheese, Pico de Gallo and radishes. But instead of a standard guacamole, I opted for a creamy avocado sauce, which, if the empty bowl served as any indication, went over swimmingly.

Carne Asada
While Carne Asada is usually grilled, broiling or pan searing (like I did here) works just as well.
 
For the marinade:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 juicy limes, juiced
Scant 1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon high heat oil, such as safflower, peanut or grapeseed
 
8 small corn tortillas
1 batch of Avocado Cream (recipe follows)
Cotija cheese
Pico de gallo
Radish slices
Cabbage and carrot slaw
Cilantro sprigs 

Using either a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound/pulse the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper until it forms a paste. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar and oil; mix well. Place the flank steak in a large Ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the meat, seal the bag and refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no more than 8 hours (or the meat will get mushy from too much protein breakdown). 

Heat a large skillet (cast iron works great) over medium-high to high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Add oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat. Add steak and cook for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium rare. Remove to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak on a diagonal across the grain.
 
*Alternatively, heat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent sticking and carry on with the above instructions.
 
Heat tortillas either in the microwave (2 at a time for 20 seconds on high heat), in a hot, dry skillet until warm and pliable, or wrap the entire stack in aluminum foil and heat in a 350°F oven (which I did since I was also baking the fish).
Assemble tacos by placing a few slices of beef down the center of a warm tortilla. Top with avocado cream, Cotija cheese, cabbage, Pico de Gallo, radish slices and cilantro sprigs.

Avocado Cream:
2 avocados
1/2 - 1 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
 
Peel, seed and dice the avocados; place into a blender. Add milk, starting with 1/2 cup, garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, adding more milk to reach the desired consistency. Adjust salt to taste.

Fish Tacos

I knew a few weeks ago that I would have last Friday off. I also knew a few weeks ago exactly what I’d do with my day of freedom: hit up Salumi’s. 
 
Mario Batalli’s dad, Armandino Batali, owns Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, a little deli in the Pioneer Square district offering top quality Italian meats and cheeses. Since they have especially limited hours (Tues-Friday, 11am-4pm), it’s virtually impossible to patronize if you work full-time on the other side of town. They have a few tables for eating in but the real attraction is their lunchtime sandwiches. I joined the long, snaking line around 11:15am, already late by local standards. After 40 minutes in the rain, I triumphantly left with one Salumi Muffo and one spicy pork & eggplant sandwich under my arm. Tristan was very lucky to have lunch delivered that day.
 
This longwinded account of last Friday’s lunch brings me to the topic of dinner that same night. My gut was leaden with meat and bread and nothing sounded good. I ended up roaming the market aimlessly, empty basket in hand, hoping for inspiration to strike. Then I saw these little hand-made, organic corn tortillas and it hit me. Fish tacos! Perfect.
 
I wasn’t actually exposed to fish tacos until later in life. During graduate school I began assisting cooking classes at PCC Natural Markets, and the first was “Baja Fresh” by Jenny Hurst. The tortilla soup and roasted tomatillo salsa were marvelous but what really blew my mind were the simple, baked fish tacos. After all these years, the thought of them still makes my mouth water. And after a gut-bomb-of-a-lunch, what could be more refreshing than chunks of flaky white fish, crunchy cabbage, diced avocado and radish slices all drizzled with a cooling citrus sauce? 
 
These are messy and delicious. Simple enough for a weekday meal but scrumptious enough for a dinner party.

Fish Tacos
A fresh mango salsa (like this one at Simply Recipes) and/or guacamole would pair beautifully with these tacos. Inspired by Jenny Hurst’s recipe from the Baja Fresh class at PCC.
 
1 ½ pounds firm white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 rounded tablespoon finely minced cilantro
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
2 limes
8-10 small corn tortillas
Cooling Citrus Sauce (recipe follows)
Crumbled Cotija cheese, optional
 
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix oil, salt, chili powder and cilantro. Rub fish on all sides with oil/spice mixture; place in a baking dish or broiling pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
 
In a small bowl, mix shredded cabbage with carrots. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice from half a lime over the top, add a small pinch of salt and toss well.
 
Before assembling the tacos, warm the corn tortillas. There are many ways to do this: in the microwave (20 seconds on high heat), in a hot skillet, or wrap the entire stack in aluminum foil and heat in the oven along with the fish.
 
To assemble, break fish into chunks and place down the middle of each tortilla. Top with cabbage and drizzle generously with citrus sauce. Sprinkle with avocado chunks and cotija cheese (if using). Top with a few radish slices. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side.

Cooling Citrus Sauce
 
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, or to taste
Pinch of salt
 
In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.