Carne Asada w Roasted Cheddar Jalapenos

About

Flank steak is tenderized in a classic marinade to make carne asada. Flavors of citrus, cilantro, and just a little spice dress the meat. After being grilled to have the perfect charred outside and pink inside, the steak is served with a side of fresh greens and tender avocado. A Mexican-inspired dish wouldn’t be complete without something appetizingly cheesy. Whole jalapenos are roasted by hand before stuffed with wads of cheddar cheese. Once the cheese is hot and melted, the stuffed peppers have a beautiful charred outside and golden inside – just like your steak! Enjoy the separate components of your meal, or you can chop and mix the ingredients on your plate to make a salad. You can even arrange this meal into a meal prep container to microwave at mealtime.

How Long Should I Marinate?

For the most part, the longer you marinate your protein, the more flavor will develop. However, not all animal proteins are the same! There are some basic guidelines for marinating times to help you out in the kitchen. Beef and pork have “stronger” proteins that can handle long marinating times – up to 24 hours. But anywhere from 6-12 hours are ideal marinating times. Chicken can also be marinated for several hours, but up to 6 hours is the sweet spot. If you marinate fish or shellfish, the rules change. Whole fish or fillets should marinate for only 1 hour. Shrimp, scallops, or other shellfish should only marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Keto Dressings For This Recipe

Although it’s not necessary, you can include a dressing with your greens in this recipe. Carb Manager has many Keto salad dressings you can make at home. The Carb Manager Keto Mexi-Ranch Dressing, Keto Ranch Dressing, or Keto Avocado Dressing are all great recipes that go with the other flavors in the dish. Just search the term “dressing” on Carb Manager to see more options. If you don’t want a dressing, you may also include some Keto guacamole or sour cream to complement your dish.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh
2 teaspoon orange juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic
½ regular – approx 2" long jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon cilantro or coriander leaves fresh or raw herb
4 ounce beef steak, flank, visible fat eaten
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 large – approx 4" – 6" long jalapeno peppers, raw
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 oz cheddar cheese
½ ounce lettuce
1 ounce avocado

Instructions

Create a marinade for your carne asada by combining lime juice, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, minced jalapeno, and chopped cilantro in a Ziploc bag. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on your flank steak and place it in the bag. Seal the bag and rub the marinade all over the steak. Marinate your steak for at least 1 hour, but overnight would be ideal.
When you’re ready to make your meal, prepare the whole jalapenos. Roast the whole peppers until the skin is blackened on both sides. You can do this by placing the jalapenos under your broiler, flipping them on a tray. You can also set your jalapenos directly on your stovetop to roast over the burner. Let the skin naturally snap, crackle, and pop until it chars. Set the roasted peppers aside to cool for later.
Drizzle the olive oil in a clean pan. Heat the pan on a high heat over your stove before placing your marinated steak in the oil. Pour any excess marinade from the Ziploc bag over the steak as it heats in the pan. Cook the flank steak to your liking, but a medium-rare to medium done steak would be best. Use a high heat to char the steak before flipping over. You can reduce the heat on the stove to adjust the doneness you want to cook your steak too.
Set the cooked steak on your serving plate. Return your focus to the roasted jalapenos. Slice the tops off the peppers and pull out the cores and seeds. Try the keep the pepper skins intact without any major tears. Slice 1 ounce of cheddar cheese per pepper into 2-3 rectangular sticks that are the length of the pepper. Push the cheddar sticks into the cooled, soft jalapenos. Stuff the peppers without making any large tears.
Place the stuffed roasted jalapenos in your pan and cover with a lid. Cook the peppers over low heat until the cheese melts. Once the cheddar is melted, transfer the finished peppers to your serving plate with the steak. Arrange a side of lettuce with thin-sliced avocado on the side. At your discretion, you may include a Keto salad dressing or a side of sour cream with the salad.