Easy Ribeye Steak Tacos Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you use ribeye steak for carne asada? ›

Traditionally carne asada is made with arrachera, or skirt steak, but you can use any steak you prefer. It's also great with flank steak, strip steak, or ribeye.

To tenderize a ribeye, you have several options. Marinades that contain ingredients like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar help break down connective tissues. Other ingredients like pineapple juice contain enzymes that tenderize meat.

Flank steak is one of the most well-known kinds for anything that requires thin steaks. This thin cut works well for slicing, as required for tacos and fajitas. It's also relatively affordable compared to top-of-the-line steaks like ribeye and New York strip.

Ribeye seasoning can be as simple as salt and pepper. However, some steak enthusiasts prefer some extra or unique flavors by adding tarragon, garlic powder, or even a little chili powder.

Falda – Flank

This cut is near the beef groin. Its fat content and tenderness have made it a prime choice in Mexico. This is a soft boneless cut to fry on a pan or grill. It has a lot of fat and if you go to a grilling, it's the one piece you can't miss out on.

The ribeye is a boneless cut taken from the rib section of beef cattle while the rib steak is a bone-in ribeye. It is a very tender cut of meat, containing more marbling than other cuts. The USDA recommends cooking ribeye steaks to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Ribeye is a best-of-both-worlds steak: It's well marbled with the flavorful fat that's usually found in tougher cuts, but it comes from one of the more tender parts of the cow, so it's great for fast-cooking, high-heat methods.

However, should steaks be marinated? Not always. Marinades can add flavor to steak and tenderize it, but not all steaks need it. If you're using a cut that's full of flavor and tenderness, like boneless ribeye, you might want to skip the marinade.

WHICH IS BEST FOR COOKING STEAK: BUTTER OR OIL? Unlike butter, many oils have higher smoke points, making them the better option for cooking steak. Furthermore, there are some oils e.g. olive oil or grape seed oil that are healthier alternatives to butter. However, don't expect oil to taste better than butter.

In restaurants, skirt steak is the preferred cut for carne asada. But at home, you might notice that skirt steak is never as tender as it is in restaurants. That's because restaurants buy skirt steaks pre-marinated and tenderized using a special process from commercial meat processors.

Do you cut steak for tacos before or after cooking? ›

One is to cut the meat before cooking into small pieces. Then quickly cook it in a skillet or griddle until it is just cooked through. If you want to grill or broil the tacos, you can still do that and then chop them into small pieces after. Just make sure to let the meat rest so you don't end up losing all the juices.

The more popular meats are usually chorizo, carnitas (braised pork), arrachera (skirt steak), and tacos al pastor (pork marinated in chili and achiote paste). But there's plenty more, like birria (goat meat), cochinita pibil (roasted pork with achiote), and barbacoa (lamb).

Tenderize the steak: Use a meat tenderizer to break down the muscle fibers in the steak. You can also use a marinade that contains acidic ingredients like vinegar or citrus juice, which can help to break down the connective tissues. Cook the steak to the right temperature: Overcooking can make a steak tough and chewy.

Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender. At Heartstone Farm, our grass-fed beef is aged 14 days for optimal tenderness.

Cooked over high heat, a thick ribeye steak (1.5 to 2 inches thick) will cook in approximately 10 minutes, about 5 minutes on each side. A thin ribeye steak (1.5 inches or less) will cook in approximately 6 minutes, about 3 minutes on each side.

Best cut of beef for Carne Asada

The BEST cuts for the Mexican version of the dish we all know and love are either skirt steak or flank steak. Personally, I prefer skirt steak (pictured). It's more tender and flavourful than flank and can be cooked well done (for those who prefer well) without getting tough and chewy.

Skirt steak is the cut of choice for carne asada throughout Southern California and it's my favorite too. But if you can't find it, you can substitute flap, flank, hanger, or top round (London broil). Skirt is the flattest of the cuts, so it doesn't take long to marinate or cook.

They're both two of the most flavorful cuts of beef. Ribeye steaks have more flavor than filet mignon or strip steaks, but less than skirt steaks. Skirt steaks are more flavorful than ribeye steaks, but a lot thinner and aren't typically served as an entrée the way thicker cuts are.

You want to cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers so they become as short as possible. You can a have melt in your mouth steak off the grill but if you cut it parallel to the grain you will end up with long muscle fibers AKA chewy, rubbery tough meat. So cut AGAINST the grain!