Taco Tuesday this week was done the RIGHT way! To put it lightly, it was perfect, extraordinary, incredible.. no, no, no, IMPECCABLE! It was so amazing, there truly aren’t any words to describe it. If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to try it for yourself. Next Taco Tuesday that is! These tacos were a complete mix of traditional and new school, so I just know you all will die over them!

There is nothing like marinating your meat for carne asada! That’s literally the whole point! That’s the whole story to these tacos!! That’s the whole meaning behind carne asada!!!

First things first: Let’s discuss what meat we’re supposed to be marinating before we actually get into the process of marinating!

• A little back story before I tell you Diamonds what meat you’re able to use for this carne asada adventure: I walked into the butcher, dead set on purchasing a flank or skirt steak which is best for marinating for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or even nachos. However, the price on those cuts of meat were through the absolute roof. Therefore, instead of breaking the bank, but keeping the flavor, I went with the butchers suggestion of cubbed sirloin tips for some serious searing.
• Before the meat hits the pan, let’s be sure to do the most important, yet the easiest part of all of this! MARINATE! You can marinate the carne asada for as little as one hour- four hours. It really doesn’t need more than that at all!
• The marinade includes= good olive oil, the juice of two little limes, the juice of one orange, W sauce, a big bunch of cilantro, scallions, fresh parsley, a dash of chipotle hot sauce, honey, huge dashes of cumin, chili powder, sea salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, along with chopped up onions and bell peppers. The color of bell peppers you choose are optional. I chose what I had on hand from my trip the farm this past weekend. I believe the best way to marinate any choice of chicken, pork, or beef is by bagging it in a freezer bag. That way it is able to seal very well, while the ingredients marry and marinate so perfectly together by sitting inside the bag for a certain period of time.
• When you are ready to cook this meat, you can pour everything (including the marinate) into a screaming hot pan without any oil! It truly is unnecessary to add extra oils or fats into the dish when it has already been included in the marinade.
• Once the meat is stewed and the vegetables are softened, you can remove any remaining liquid that did not reduce. Then, when no more liquid is left in the pan, it is time to turn the heat up to high and caramelize the carne asada! This should only take about 5-10 minutes until the meat is looking browned and fabulous!

Now that the carne asada is marinated and cooked, it is time to ASSEMBLE!

Think: ” Gordita crunch shell”, and that is exactly what we have here!

If you love a flatbread or pita bread you will absolutely die over these! They are very close to the shells that they build chalupas with. I remember when I was young, when Wendy’s was served in the yellow packaging, not the red! If you know, you know. They came out with stuffed pitas back in the 90s. I loved them more than anything; I was hooked! These take me back to that moment in time when I was experiencing the most delicious, delectable bites known to my adolescent food obsessed life! The secret to a great taco .. thin or thick- is to char the outside of BOTH sides. Yes, you have to char both! It’s a sin if you don’t.

• Once the taco shells are charred, you’ll want to layer that carne asada on each taco that you are serving to your friends, family, guests, or maybe it’s just you on a Tuesday evening, on your couch, with an iced cold Corona, and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce. If that’s the case, you’re doing quite alright for yourself!
• Now traditionally, these tacos would be topped with raw minced Spanish onions and a handful of cilantro, but I took a different route. The Diamond route; if you will.
• After piling on the carne asada, I topped these tacos with all of the goods!
• The goods= Shredded Mexican cheddar, Cojita cheese, cilantro, and a mango corn salsa. The salsa gives this savory dish a tiny touch of sweetness that takes it from perfect to beyond!
• Micro greens to garnish because they are my most favorite greens on planet earth.

Carne asada tacos, the Diamond way are worth creating time and time again!

After making these in your home just once, you’ll be making them over and over again. They’ll keep replaying in your head. That citrusy, cilantro packed carne asada topped with just the right amount of ingredients will leave you wanting more time and time again. They are totally awesome to create this time of year! If you wanted to grill your meat instead of searing! That is a wonderful option as well. There are always different ways of spinning my recipes or suggestions if one thing works better for you and your lifestyle, rather than following the exact way that worked the best for me. I share my love of food and my life on here to inspire you Diamonds. Not to direct you to do any specific one thing!

The Diamond way is my way, but I want you all to pave your way by being guided with a little Diamond dust! That’s the RIGHT way!

If you give these tacos a taste, please leave a comment down below letting me know how much you loved them!

xoxo