Arrachera Recipe

[fnarf999]

I wanted to post this in the food forum but I don't have permission there.

I love the arrachera at El Fogon and H&C, and now that I'm home I want to try making it. But I don't know what spices to use. All the recipes I've found on the web just talk about the citrus marinade, but (assuming I can find bitter oranges at the Meximart) this isn't the problem. The thing I'm missing is the spice. I've read "cumin" and while there may be cumin in there I think there's more. I think it might be ground coriander seed (same plant but very different flavor to cilantro leaves).

Anyone know?

[smardie]

Steve- Sorry to totally threadjack before you have even gotten any replies, but are you Janey's brother, Dean/Joans son, and the one who told me the truth about Santa?? I am cracking up if you are. Anyway, Barb Benjamin here, blast from the past, if it is you. If you are someone else, ........................sorry!
We love HH ourselves, just got back from visiting Playa in December (needed to get out of town after my Dad died in October)
My husband Mark and I have been trying to make it ever since we went the first time and made a great version new years eve. We got our meat (actually used flat-iron steak that we got at the meat store in the market (the one behind franks produce) marinaded it in garlic, olive oil, salt/pepper only for half a day. Grilled over super hot real wood coals. I made a really good chimichurri (my own addition) that we put on in addition to the guacamole. In all our research it seems that there really isn't much seasoning, just the right cut of meat and proper cooking. If it doesn't turn out, you can always try the Buenos Aires downtown and get the Entrana steak which is very similar.
Hope all is well, if it is you. Say hi to your sister and Mom too!

[Page]

To tenderize meat really well, you can use either kiwi or papaya, or just use meat tenderizer. The enzyme in the fruit is the ingredient in meat tenderizer.

Caroline

[vegasbabie]

I by Arrachera from a local Mexican store. They trim the meat and put it through tenderiser (sp). The marinade I use it Goya Mojo. I put the meat in a bowl and pour the Mojo over it and let it sit for a few hours, sometimes overnight. I have used it on beef and chicken. I love it.

[Chris in VT]

Copied this from a 2006 post


Here's the best recipe for arrachera that I found.
Though I'd share this with you.

It comes from the book Baja Magic Dos.


1½ lbs top grade arrachera (flank steak)
1 cup pineapple juice
½ tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp onion salt
2 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp herbs de Provence
1 large or 2 small white onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp corn or canola oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste

At least two hours before serving, remove fat from meat, cut into ¾ inch strips and place in 9 x 13 pan. Put pineapple juice, salt, pepper, garlic and onion salt, paprika, celery salt, nutmeg and herbs de Provence in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour over meat. Stir every 15 minutes.

Heat coals on barbeque grill to very hot. In skillet, stir fry onions about five minutes in mustard, water and salt and pepper. Then cover and simmer over low heat for ten minutes while cooking arrachera. For medium rare, broil the strips about three minutes on each side. Serve the arrachera on heated plates over a bed of onions. Juerg recommends sweet potatoes to finish off this dish.

*

[fnarf999]

Smardie --

One and the same. I have to tell you that I had some bad information when I was six, and Santa is DEFINITELY REAL! Nice to hear from you.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I remember him well. I would have gone to his funeral if I'd known; I guess I don't read the obituaries often enough. I remember you went to my dad's; that's the only time we've met in the past, what, 25 years?

These are good tips, though I know one thing for sure -- flank steak isn't it, it's skirt steak, which is a little different (and hard to find in an American butcher). It isn't CUT that thin, it just comes off the animal that way. I'm also POSITIVE there's a spice there; maybe it's the celery salt? I'm going to have to do some experimenting. Any kind of experiment involving really hot coals is good even if it doesn't turn out quite the way I was hoping. I can get my Big Green Egg up to 800 degrees; that ought to do it!

[KSSIL]

We make ours by marinading our steak in olive oil, lime , cumin, garlic ,sliced red onion and salt and pepper. We let it marinade all day and then grill . We then slice the steak against the grain and serve in tortillas with sliced avocados and pico de gallo. One of our absolute favorite meals, I am hungry all of a sudden

[Daddy4zack]

After just getting back from El Fogon.. I am craving the arrachera.. Now I am looking for recipes.. They all seem to be a bit different.. I will keep looking..

Aaron

[psa24]

Originally Posted by Chris in VT

Copied this from a 2006 post


Here's the best recipe for arrachera that I found.
Though I'd share this with you.

It comes from the book Baja Magic Dos.


1½ lbs top grade arrachera (flank steak)
1 cup pineapple juice
½ tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp onion salt
2 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp herbs de Provence
1 large or 2 small white onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp corn or canola oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste

At least two hours before serving, remove fat from meat, cut into ¾ inch strips and place in 9 x 13 pan. Put pineapple juice, salt, pepper, garlic and onion salt, paprika, celery salt, nutmeg and herbs de Provence in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour over meat. Stir every 15 minutes.

Heat coals on barbeque grill to very hot. In skillet, stir fry onions about five minutes in mustard, water and salt and pepper. Then cover and simmer over low heat for ten minutes while cooking arrachera. For medium rare, broil the strips about three minutes on each side. Serve the arrachera on heated plates over a bed of onions. Juerg recommends sweet potatoes to finish off this dish.

*

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT try this recipe. I found this same recipe online, in the same place the original poster found it I bet. I followed the recipe step by step excatly as stated and it was horrible. It was so salty it was almost inedible. I don't know what kind of arrachera this person made but it wasn't the arrachera we're used to. Find a different recipe.

[Daddy4zack]

Originally Posted by psa24

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT try this recipe. I found this same recipe online, in the same place the original poster found it I bet. I followed the recipe step by step excatly as stated and it was horrible. It was so salty it was almost inedible. I don't know what kind of arrachera this person made but it wasn't the arrachera we're used to. Find a different recipe.

Thanks For the heads up..

Aaron

[Dijo]

and was amazed at how close it was to the same taste at HC Monterey.

You must start with skirt steak. This takes 2 days. First day, sprinkle Cajun spice (I know sounds gross). We use Louisiana Fish Fry Products on both sides of the steak. Put in either a ziplock bag or a plastic container and let sit overnight in the fridge. Next day. Pour Italian Dressing over the top, turn meat and add some to the top: half way through the day, turn the meat over. Just before cooking slice the meat on the diagonal as thin as possible and grill quickly to the desired: rare, medium rare, etc. We purchased a solid cast iron grill to go inside our BBQ, but noticed at HC Monterey they were just doing it on a regular BBQ grill directly over the flames.

I couldn't believe that this actually worked. We got the recipe from our friend JR in Cozumel after he served it for dinner one evening. I somehow think it's cheating; but dang it; it works.

[Skiptown]

Originally Posted by fnarf999

I wanted to post this in the food forum but I don't have permission there.

I love the arrachera at El Fogon and H&C, and now that I'm home I want to try making it. But I don't know what spices to use. All the recipes I've found on the web just talk about the citrus marinade, but (assuming I can find bitter oranges at the Meximart) this isn't the problem. The thing I'm missing is the spice. I've read "cumin" and while there may be cumin in there I think there's more. I think it might be ground coriander seed (same plant but very different flavor to cilantro leaves).

Anyone know?

Look for the sour orange in a bottle. It is the only way you will find it here.It keeps well in the fridge and is used in lots of good Mexican food.
Here is the recipe from my bible for Mexican cooking. "One thousand Mexiacn Recipes" by Marge Poore
Arrachera
Thin pieces of grilled skirt staek, called arrachera are listed on almost every menu in Mexico. Skirt steaks are beef daiphragm muscles with a long grain. This cut is often used to make fajitas in the USA. You can use a grill top pan for cooking the meat.
1 1/2 lb skirt steak cut into 4 pieces
2 Tabelspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Oil to brush on the meat and onion
1 medium white onion halved and sliced.
Tomatillo or green salsa
8 corn tortillas
1. Trim steak of excess fat and the tough silver skin. Rub the meat all over with lime juice. Season with salt snd pepper. Let the meat stand at room temp while preparing a hot BBQ fire. When hot brush the steak with oil and grill over hot fire about 2 or 3 minutes or until desired done. Let meat stand 5 minutes before serving. Put onions on foil and drizzle with a little oil and cook until done. Sounds pretty basic but turns out good. If you want you can marinate with sour orange juice before to add a better flavor. Don't be afraid to experment with salsas and cumin and sooner or later you will find the one you like.
This is a very basic dish and should be easy to make.

[Daddy4zack]

Tonight i tried my own from different recipies..

4 lbs Flat Iron Steak (skirt steak)
4 limes for juice
1 med onion
1 T Cumin
2 T chili powder
Lots of Garlic
Olive oil.. S&P

Its all marinading now.. But I did fry one sm. piece to try it and wow pretty good! Has anyone used a little bit of Pineapple juice??

Aaron

[Dawn & Moon]

We also LOVE the aracherra from Playa. We use skirt or flank steak. Layer a couple steaks with fresh salsa, adobo seasoning, fresh garlic, beer and tequilla. Mmmmm !!! Overnight works best - the longer the better
It's yummy!!