MexicanArrachera
Marinated grilled skirt steak
Arrachera: Monterrey-style marinated skirt steak, grilled hot and sliced for tacos with guacamole and salsa
Arrachera is the star of the Sunday carne asada in Monterrey and across Nuevo León, where families gather round the grill in the backyard and eat it straight off the board in warm flour or corn tortillas with grilled onions, guacamole and salsa. Skirt steak is a thin, loose-grained cut full of flavour, and a marinade of orange, lime, garlic, soy and Worcestershire sauce seasons and tenderises it. Always marinate it in the fridge. The common mistake is slicing with the grain: the meat turns stringy and chewy. Cut it across the grain into thin strips. Cook it fast and hot to medium-rare or medium (57–63 °C in the centre) and rest it for 5 minutes. Chef's tip: dry the steak well with kitchen paper before it hits the grill; a wet steak steams instead of charring.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 620 kcal
Ingredients
For the marinade
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp salt
For the tacos
- 1 ¾ lb beef skirt steak (arrachera)
- 9 oz guacamole
- ¾ cup red or green salsa
- 2 limesin wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix ½ cup orange juice, 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano and 1 tsp salt in a dish.
Step 2: Add 1 ¾ lb beef skirt steak (arrachera) and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2–8 hours (no longer, or the citrus makes it mushy).
5 minStep 3: Heat a barbecue or griddle pan until very hot. Lift the steak out, scrape off the garlic and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Step 4: Grill for 3–4 minutes per side, until well charred outside and 57–145°F in the centre. Grill 8 spring onions or cebollitas alongside for 5 minutes, until soft and blackened in spots.
8 minStep 5: Rest the steak on a board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
5 minStep 6: Warm 12 flour or corn tortillas on the grill and serve with the steak, onions, 9 oz guacamole, ¾ cup red or green salsa and 2 limes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arrachera take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of orange juice?
- Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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