Carne Asada Fries #ImprovCookingChallenge
Carne Asada Fries are the best Mexican appetizer to your meal. Flavorful beef on top of crispy fries topped with cheese, guacamole, tomatoes and sour cream.
Servings: 4 -6 as appetizer, 2-3 as entree
Calories:
Ingredients
For the Carne Asada:
- 1 ½ lbs flank or skirt steak
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
For the Fries:
- 1 bag frozen fries shoestring, crinkle or steak is best
- 2 cups shredded Mexican or monterrey jack cheese
For the Toppings:
- 2 avocados ripe
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 roma tomato finely diced
- Sour cream optional
- sliced jalapenos optional
- chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
For the Carne Asada:
- Combine the cilantro, orange juice, oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the flank steak to a ziptop bag or a bowl and pour the marinade over it. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to overnight.
- Remove the steak from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the steak over high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Or pan-sear the steak over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Remove the steak and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into strips, then dice the strips into bite sized pieces.
For the Fries:
- Preheat the oven according to package instructions.
- Lay the fries out in a single layer on a sheet pan.
- Cook according to package instructions, usually 15-20 minutes.
- Push the fries into a mound on the sheet pan and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the Toppings:
- Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a bowl, removing the pit. Add the lime juice and salt and mash until desired consistency.
To Assemble:
- Transfer the mound of cheese covered fries to a serving platter.
- Sprinkle the chopped meat on top.
- Top with the guacamole, diced tomatoes and optional sour cream, sliced jalapenos and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe requires at least 2 hours of marinating!
- The guacamole can be made in advance. Prepare as stated above, then press plastic wrap to the top of the mixture, cover with a lid and refrigerate. This will stop the guacamole from browning, but use within a few hours.
- You can still eat browned guacamole. It just looks less appealing.
- To reheat this dish, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until warm.