Carne Asada

Ingredients

• 1½ lbbeef steakskirt steak, flank steak or boneless short ribs; excess fat trimmed
• ½ cuporange juicefreshly squeezed, for the marinade
• 2⅔ tbsplime juiceabout 1–2 limes, for the marinade
• ⅓ cupolive oilfor the marinade, plus a little for cooking
• 2 tbspsoy saucefor the marinade
• 4 clovesgarlicminced
• 1 tspcuminfor the marinade
• 1 tbspVinegaror white wine vinegar
• 1 tspchili powderalso ancho chili powder or red pepper flakes
• 2jalapeñostemmed, optionally seeded, minced
• 1 bunchcilantrochopped, for the marinade
• 1½ tbspOreganofor the marinade
• 1 tspsaltto season the meat
• ½ tspblack pepperfreshly ground
• 2 tbspWorcestershire saucefor the marinade (optional)

Method

1. For the marinade, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, minced garlic, ground cumin, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, minced jalapeños, chopped cilantro and dried Mexican oregano, or blitz everything in a blender until smooth; add the Worcestershire sauce too if you like.
2. Trim any excess fat from the beef steak, lay it in a dish or a zip-top bag, pour the marinade over it and turn it once so it's coated all over.
3. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 to 6 hours, but no longer than 8 hours, or the acid will start to turn the texture of the meat too soft.
4. Lift the meat out of the marinade, discard the marinade and pat the steak thoroughly dry with paper towels so it browns nicely later.
5. Season the meat on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and brush it lightly with olive oil if needed.
6. Heat the grill or a cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil over high heat until it's properly hot.
7. Cook the steak for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, a little longer for thicker pieces, until it reaches the doneness you like.
8. Take the meat off the grill or out of the skillet and let it rest for about 5 minutes so the juices can settle.
9. Slice the carne asada thinly against the grain with a sharp knife and serve right away.

Tips and variations

Boneless short ribs work well in place of skirt or flank steak – just salt the meat before it goes into the marinade. For more punch, add Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes to the marinade, and hold some of it back to brush over the meat while it's on the grill. No grill? A cast-iron skillet does the job just as well. And if there's any left over, cut the meat into bite-size pieces and tuck it into a flour tortilla with pico de gallo and cheese for a quesadilla.