Grilled skirt carne asada

12 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 130°F · rest 8 min

Ingredients

2 lb on the fire · ~1.6 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz

• outside skirt steak, silver skin trimmed2 lb
• orange juice1/4 cup
• lime juice2 tbsp
• garlic cloves, grated3
• cumin1 tsp
• kosher salt1½ tsp
• oil1 tbsp

Method

1. 1

   Mix juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and oil. Marinate the skirt 30–90 minutes — not overnight. Acid will start to cure it.

2. 2

   Wipe excess marinade. Preheat the grill to high. Oil the grates.

3. 3

   Grill 2–3 minutes per side until 128–130°F. Skirt is thin; it overcooks in a blink.

4. 4

   Rest 8 minutes. Slice very thin against the grain. Serve with tortillas, onion, and cilantro — not a heavy sauce.

If you don’t have it

• Outside skirt → Flank, hanger, or inside skirt. Flank is leaner — do not past 130. Hanger is the closest chew.
• Orange-lime marinade → Salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime after. If you only have 15 minutes, skip the bath. Char and salt carry it.
• Mesquite → Oak, or a screaming gas grill with no wood. This cook is too short for fruitwood to matter. Heat matters more.

Same cook, different day

• Cast-iron asada

  No grill. Smoking-hot skillet, 2 minutes per side, 130°F. Vent the kitchen.

• Taco pack for a crowd

  Doubling the meat. Two skirts, staggered on the grate so you are not crowding. Slice all at once after a rest.

• No marinade

  You want pure beef. Salt 30 minutes ahead. High heat. Lime and onion at the table.