Backyard Mesquite Carne Asada Tacos

By @desert_dad, Phoenix, AZ

Citrus-and-beer marinade, mesquite smoke, tortillas charred right on the grate.

I'm not a chef. I'm a guy with a grill and strong opinions about marinade. Every Friday in Phoenix, the mesquite goes on and the neighbours start drifting over before I've even sliced anything. The secret is citrus and beer and not overthinking it. Char the tortillas right on the grate until they blister. That's the whole religion, honestly.

Ingredients

• 2 lb skirt or flank steak
• 3 limes, juiced
• 2 oranges, juiced
• 1 bottle Mexican lager
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 pack corn tortillas
• 1 white onion, diced

Method

1. Whisk the lime, orange, beer, garlic, half the cilantro, cumin and salt into a marinade.
2. Marinate the steak 2–4 hours — no longer, or the citrus starts to cook it.
3. Get the mesquite grill screaming hot.
4. Grill the steak 3–4 minutes a side for medium-rare. Rest it 10 minutes, then slice against the grain.
5. Char the tortillas right on the grate.
6. Pile on steak, onion and cilantro, and finish with a hard squeeze of lime.