Tacos Al Carbon

Some dishes are so easy, they almost don’t need a recipe. Tacos al carbon is one of those “recipes”. Living in Southern California, we have access to excellent Mexican restaurants. Most grocery stores sell pre-marinated flank steak with delicious rubs or marinades, which are great for throwing on the BBQ. But if you live in an area where good Mexican food is scarce, or you’re like us, and avoid seed oils, this recipe will give you authentic street tacos in less than an hour.

What does “al carbon” mean?

In Spanish “al carbon” means charcoal grilled. Cooked over an open flame gives these tacos a delicious smoky flavor. But don’t worry if you don’t have a charcoal grill, you can still make them on a gas grill.

This recipe is from Sonora, in northwest Mexico where there are an abundance of cattle ranches. Either beef or chicken can be used, but beef is more common, and what we’ll be using today. What’s not to love about charcoal-grilled meats?

What’s the difference between “al carbon” and carne asada?

While both recipes use the same cuts of meat, “al carbon” is cooked over charcoal, whereas carne asada can be cooked in either on a griddle (comal) or open flame. Tacos al carbon are often considered “street food”.

Unlike American tacos which are loaded with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes and hot sauce, tacos carbon are served simply, in warm corn tortillas, with some lime wedges, grilled jalapeño chiles or charred green onions, cilantro, and maybe some Mexican crema. 

What the best type of meat to use for this recipe?

Either skirt or flank steak work well for this recipe. Hanger steak is delicious as well, but isn’t as easy to find. They are all relatively thin, and cook up quickly, which is also a bonus. I usually buy whatever is on sale. There’s also a lovely jalapeños and charred onion salsa that accompanies, and enhances this dish, and cooks quickly alongside the meat. 

​What’s in tacos al carbon?

Let’s get to the flavoring. Once again, simple is always best. Most cuisines don’t require a crazy assortment of spice mixes. Mexican food is no exception. Guess what? Taco seasoning doesn’t exist in Mexico, just like “Italian seasoning” doesn’t exist in Italy. 

• Chipotle chile in adobo sauce; This ingredient sounds exotic, and hard to find, but is readily available in most large grocery stores nationwide in the Latin food section. 
• Cumin;. Cumin is a very common spice used in Mexican food. It comes either ground or seeds. We’ll use ground for this recipe. 
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds flank or skirt steak.

For the jalapeño and green onion salsa, you’ll need:

• 2 jalapeño chiles
• 10 green onions (about 1 bunch)
• fresh lime juice
• Some of the adobo sauce from the marinade/paste above.

That’s it! Simple ingredients make the best dishes! 

What’s the best tortilla to use for tacos al carbon?

​Traditionally, soft, warm corn tortillas are used. I like to use the smaller “street taco” size tortillas, but you can use larger tortillas if you can’t find the smaller ones. I love this tortilla warmer!

How to make this recipe

• Mix 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, one diced chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce, kosher salt. and cumin into a paste.

• Cut the flank steak into 2-3″ wide strips. This will allow the paste to cover more of the meat’s surface. It also means that when it’s sliced, it’ll be the perfect size to fit into a small tortilla.

• Rub the marinade/paste all over the meat and allow it to rest while you prepare your barbeque or grill. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the meat for several hours, or overnight to let the marinade further work its magic if you’d like.

• Wash several green onions and jalapeños for grilling. No need to trim or seed. They’ll go on the grill as is.
• Heat up your grill or get your charcoal going. No matter which type of grill you’re using, the key to perfectly cooked meat is to turn it frequently. Don’t worry if your grill has a flare-up, that just adds to the smoky flavor of this dish. For best results, turn the meat every 2-3 minutes until it reaches 125 degrees F. or medium rare. Remember, meat continues to cook after it’s off the heat.
• If you want, you can cook the green onions and jalapenos on the cooler part of the grill, and the meat on the hottest portion, or cook them on their own before the meat.
• Once the meat is cooked to medium rate (125-130 degrees F.), remove it from the grill, along with the charred and blistered green onions and jalapeños.
• Cover the meat and while it rests. Place the jalapeños and green onions into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam.

Making the jalapeño-green onion salsa

• Without peeling, cut the ends of the chiles, and seed them. You can reserve the seeds and add more later for extra heat if you choose. Dice the chiles and chop them finely.

• Chop the green onions and mix both together with lime juice, adobo sauce, olive oil, and kosher salt.

Serving the tacos al carbon

• Slice the steak against the grain and serve with warm corn tortillas, the jalapeño-green onion salsa, cilantro and lime wedges. Mexican crema or sour cream is also a nice accompaniment.

What to serve with tacos al carbon

The other great thing about Mexican food in general, is that it’s nice if you’re on a budget. A pound of meat will easily serve 4-6 people since you only put a few pieces in each taco. I serve this Cilantro rice and refried beans whenever I make any Mexican dish. Salsa Fresca or Guacamole is our go-to with tortilla chips. Don’t forget the Margaritas! Ole!