Carne Asada Tacos Vampiro-Style
These Carne Asada Tacos Vampiro-Style are lined with a pan-fried cheese disk, giving the tortilla a remarkable toasted flavor. The pickled onions add brightness from the orange and lime juice, contrasting beautifully with the charred steak that fills the fragrant homemade corn tortillas.
The flavor-packed fried cheese set these tacos apart from other steak taco recipes. Homemade corn tortillas add to the flavor profile and are pretty easy to make using only masa harina and water as the ingredients! I love making them appetizer-size (4″ tortillas) and wowing guests with fresh tortillas.
Cook by Cut!
Skirt steak is often confused with flank steak. They have similar cooking properties since both contain connective tissue and a loose grain structure.
- They take well to marinades
- They cook best when seared over high heat on the grill
- They are typically served medium-rare
- They are presented to the table by slicing thinly across the grain
Skirt steak is long, narrow, and only ½ to 1 inch thick. Because it’s so thin, you must cook it over high heat to ensure that the outside is well-browned while ensuring the interior is tender and juicy.
Marinating enhances the natural flavors of these cuts of steak without overpowering them. Using a suitable marinade for your cut of steak can elevate it from great to absolutely amazing. This mouth-watering marinade does just that for skirt and flank steak and blends beautifully with the ingredients and textures while highlighting the charred steak exterior.
Carne Asada Tacos Vampiro-Style
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup cumin seeds
- 3 jalapenos stemmed, halved and seeded, optional
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 ½ lb skirt steak or flank steak
Pickled Onions
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
Vampiro Tortillas
- 2 cups manchego cheese shredded
- 2 cups queso blanco cheese grated
- 2 cups Cotija cheese grated
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 8 corn tortillas 6- inch
Assemble
- 8 tbsp Salsa fresh-
- 3 Radishes sliced as garnish
- cilantro as garnish
Instructions
Marinade
- Toast cumin seeds in a adry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a small food processor bowl.¼ cup cumin seeds
- Add marinade ingredients to the cumin seeds in the processor bowl and purée until smooth.2 large garlic cloves, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tsp kosher salt, ¾ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lime juice, 1 ½ lb skirt steak, 3 jalapenos
- Cut the steak crosswise into 4 pieces and place in a plastic bag. Add the marinade. Close the bag and gently rub the marinade around the meat pieces. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 6-10 hours.
Pickled Onions
- Whisk together orange juice, ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tsp. salt and oregano, and add the onions. Chill pickled onions until ready to use.½ cup orange juice, ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 small red onion
Grilling Steak
- Remove the marinated meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
- Preheat grill to high. Brush grill grate with oil.
- Grill steaks until lightly charred, 3-4 minutes. Turn the meat pieces and remove from the grill when the second side is lightly charred. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips.
Vampiro Tortillas
- Mix the cheese varieties in a bowl.2 cups manchego cheese, 2 cups queso blanco cheese, 2 cups Cotija cheese
- Heat a cast-iron skillet on the grill (or stove) over high. Add ⅓ cup cheese mixture to the skillet and sprinkle with a dash or two of chili powder. Cook until it melts and begins to brown on the edges. Press the tortilla onto the cheese. Flip the tortilla when the cheese is golden brown.1 tsp chili powder, 8 corn tortillas
- Fill the tortilla with steak, pickled onions, and salsa as you cook for 30 seconds to one minute to crisp up the second side. Repeat until you've cooked and assembled all of the tacos.8 tbsp Salsa
- Garnish the plates and serve immediately.3 Radishes, cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
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