Recipe: Danny Trejo's Carne Asada Tacos

In his upcoming cookbook, "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A." (Clarkson Potter), coming in Spring 2020, the actor, restaurateur and food truck owner Danny Trejo offers 75 "badass" recipes, including this delicious take on tacos.

Danny Trejo's Master Carne Asada

Ingredients:

Marinade

½ large white onion, roughly chopped
3 chipotle chiles from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons of the sauce
2 medium jalapeños, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves
½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
¾ cup orange juice (preferably fresh)
½ cup pure olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce Juice of
1 lemon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 pounds flank, flap, or skirt steak

Preparation:

• Marinate the steak:  Combine the onion, chipotles and sauce, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, and paprika in a food processor or blender and puree. Transfer the marinade to a large self-seal plastic bag or airtight container.
• Add the flank steak and turn to coat it in the marinade, then seal the bag (or cover the container). Refrigerate overnight.
• Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bag or bowl. Place the steak on a platter and set it aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
• Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high heat.
• Grill the steak until it is charred, about 5 minutes. Turn it over and grill until charred on the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it crosswise and against the grain.

Danny Trejo's Carne Asada Tacos

Makes 12 tacos

Ingredients:

12 6-inch tortillas
1½ cups shredded green cabbage
¼ cup Salsa Verde
3 cups Carne Asada
2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• Stack the tortillas, wrap them in aluminum foil, place them in the oven, and let them warm until they're fragrant and pliable, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the tortillas from the oven. Unwrap the stack and line up the tortillas, assembly line style, on your work surface.
• In a medium bowl, mix the shredded cabbage with the Salsa Verde. Divide the Carne Asada among the tortillas, placing it in a straight line down the center of each tortilla. Place a line of the cabbage mixture to the right of the steak. Serve a lime wedge with each taco.

From the book "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.: A Cookbook" by Danny Trejo with Hugh Garvey. Copyright © 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission.   

       
For more info:

• "Trejo's Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A.: A Cookbook" by Danny Trejo with Hugh Garvey (Clarkson Potter), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available April 2020; preorder via Amazon
• dannytrejo.com