Carne Asada Lorenza

Made everything in this recipe when my adult children and grandchildren came to visit last year. It is a multi-day effort but well worth it. Such a hit it’s been requested for this year’s visit. Love Pati Jinich and bought her cookbook.

If one makes all three components (4 with guacamole) , it’s pretty much an all day exercise. My family liked the results but they, collectively, had a few suggestions. Use pre-crisped tortillas, use skirt steak and chop more finely, and drain the salsa. I don’t know about the tortillas, but otherwise I’d agree with them.

I asked the butcher for chuck roll, and here in the northwest it’s an unfamiliar term. He cut 1/2 -inch steaks from the chuck for me and it seems fine.

We cooked the meat on an open camp fire, made the accompanying refried beans, guac, and salsa recipes. We skipped the asparagus salad and made Elote instead. The flavors from this entire menu are SOOOO delicious. We had this feast with some friends that we enjoy cooking with, and all agreed it was worth every bit of the effort. This is the kind of menu that creates memorable experiences.

Absolutely delicious! Pati Jinich recipes always work! The combination of refried beans, cheese, salsa and guacamole are terrific. I did question the simplicity of the seasoning on the beef but it worked. I had refried beans in the freezer and salsa from our farmers market. Guacamole is simple to throw together. Boom! Dinner.

Love Pati and her recipes. I am confused by the inclusion of corn tortillas here when Pati’s wonderful article on Sonoran carne asada calls for “pillowy-soft flour tortillas.”

Patí Jinich's recipes are simply excellent. Kudos to NYT for inviting her into this venue, finally.

Very good! Cooked indoors: salsa ingredients under broiler (homegrown tomatoes, added corn), 1/2 thick sirloin steaks in hot sauté pan, cheddar in the beans and no additional cheese, homemade corn tortillas (so easy if you haven’t tried), no guacamole. A lazy Sunday afternoon of cooking all the components, with deeply satisfying result.

My dad was stationed in Corpus Christi Texas in the years including 1970. We were there during hurricane Celia. We had hot lunch at our public school (and breakfast!) and one of my favorite items was called "Chalupas." They looked just like this open faced crunchy "taco." I will definitely try this!

You absolutely cannot make Sonoran beans without garlic! You can add crushed garlic to the cooking water and it will get mashed with the beans or put twice as many cloves I crushed and remove before mashing.I think that a (chuck) flat iron steak would work just fine (might be the same cut with a different name). I’d also suggest a hanger steak/skirt steak/butchers’ cut (from the plate) for that more intense beef flavor.

I was interested to realize that none of the components of this meal included garlic. I’m used to using garlic, and often cumin and coriander in dishes like this. I was pleased to have my conventional cooking assumptions disrupted. I cooked it as written and it was delicious!

You absolutely cannot make Sonoran beans without garlic! You can add crushed garlic to the cooking water and it will get mashed with the beans or put twice as many cloves I crushed and remove before mashing.

I agree with Janet re: Chuck Roll? I think that a (chuck) flat iron steak would work just fine (might be the same cut with a different name). I’d also suggest a hanger steak/skirt steak/butchers’ cut (from the plate) for that more intense beef flavor.

Does “sliced into 1/2-inch steaks” mean sliced into 1/2-inch strips?