Chef notes
Fourth of July in Los Angeles is something that everyone must experience at least once in their lives. There are so many explosions in the sky and family carne asadas going on at once that the sky is one big puff of smoke. I usually host my family and, one time, I thought, "What if I added my family's michelada mix to my carne asada marinade?" The result was incredible. It tenderized the meat and added a savory and spicy juiciness that goes perfectly ... with a michelada, of course!
Our mix is inspired by the way micheladas are prepared in Oaxaca, which emphasizes sauces and dried chiles over a tomato cocktail mix. The longer the marinade, the better, but the steak also tastes great after just 30 minutes of marinating time.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds flap steak
- 1/2 cup michelada mix
- 1/4 cup tomato juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if in season
- 12 ounces Mexican lager beer
- 1 jumbo shallot, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- warm tortillas and salsa, to serve
Preparation
1.Whisk together the garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the rub evenly over both sides of the meat, gently patting to help it stick. Let sit for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2.Meanwhile, in a large nonreactive bowl, combine the michelada mix, tomato juice, orange juice and beer. Submerge the seasoned meat in the marinade and top with the shallot and orange slices. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the meat to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3.Remove the meat from the refrigerator to allow it to reach room temperature before grilling, if possible. Start a charcoal or gas grill. The gas should be set to high. If using a pellet grill, preheat your grill to 450 F for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, the coals should be red but entirely covered with gray ash. Remove the meat from the marinade and put it on the grill directly over the fire. Close the lid and cook, turning once, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
4.Slice the meat against the grain. Serve with warm tortillas and salsa.
