Carne Asada Question

[Mayday981]

Hi everybody, I have a Weber Kettle One Touch with the temperature on the cover. I'm having a party next week and I wanted to try cooking carne asada. Today I tested it out so I heated up my grill and it got up to 300 degrees. I cooked this carne asada meat that I bought at a Mexican grocery store.

I put it on the grill for about a minute on each side on direct heat. I have a thermopop and I stuck it in the meat. However it was so thin that I couldn't do it on the side like I've done with chicken breast. I was reading that you should take out meat 5 to 10 degrees before it's ready because it would heat up afterwards. I got a reading of 128 degrees. i waited five minutes to see if it would heat up and when i checked the temperature it actually went down to 126 degrees. I ended up putting the meat back on the grill and when I finished it was around 150 degrees. It ended up being rough to chew.

So I have a couple of questions:

1) For thin meat like carne asada should I use indirect heat rather than direct heat to control the temperature?

2) Is my Thermopop not accurately calculating the temperature? Should I try another device?

3) What is the best way to test meat when it is even too thin to test on the side? Why would the temperature go down?

Thank you everybody in advance for any help. I really want to have some BBQ parties and cook delicious and tender meat.

[varekai]

Welcome Mayday, Let me start off by saying I LOVE ME SOME carne asada... When I cook it I usually use my griddle or cast iron pan. I have grilled it also. I usually want to get a good caramelisation, when grilling I believe I used a hot direct method. It's been a while since I've grilled it and didn't take pics when I did... here is some of my cooks.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/varekai/albums/72157669081406713   There will be more people chiming in here soon..

[1buckie]

Howdy & welcome !!!

You could test out more of a  "baking" type cook indirect.....that's a way I'll  do stuff sometimes.....

     -OR-

go extra high heat (above the 300 you were at) & here's the thinking on that way:

the really good Mex type cooks / cookups I've seen do it that way.....real fast to get some char on the pieces.....carne like that is likely either flap or flank meat & has very little fat content compared to most items, so a real hot, quick cook might work well....

Stabbing the thin stuff w/a therm drives me buggy....never can get a clean readout as it's all different thickness & too close to the metal grate......almost have to go by "feel" or trying a quick test piece.....
Also, the reading you're getting from the lid therm will be (most usually) quite different than right on the grate....maybe try out an inexpensive oven therm to get a little better idea as to what's going on at the grate level....






Just place it near where you're cooking, but not directly over coals so you get a decent average.....

[Travis]

Hello and welcome, Mayday. I've never made that before, but if you're cooking a thin cut of beef like a flank or skirt steak then high (450 and up), direct heat is the way to go.

I would say a minute on one side, turn, a minute, turn back for a minute, then back again for a total of about 4-5 minutes tops.
This way you will get a good Caramelization and get what's called a "bumper to bumper" medium rare. Your not trying to get beautiful sear marks with this cook since your slicing it up

Buckie is right about that dome temp. It will be higher than your grate level, so in hindsight if you were running at 300ish on the dome, your fire was not near hot enough. Get that cheap oven thermo, Try it again with direct, high heat. Flip often and also when you pull it off and after it rest for a few minutes, make sure to slice across the grain. This will give you a more tender and pleasant bite.

Hope it helps!


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[Mayday981]

Welcome Mayday, Let me start off by saying I LOVE ME SOME carne asada... When I cook it I usually use my griddle or cast iron pan. I have grilled it also. I usually want to get a good caramelisation, when grilling I believe I used a hot direct method. It's been a while since I've grilled it and didn't take pics when I did... here is some of my cooks.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/varekai/albums/72157669081406713   There will be more people chiming in here soon..

Wow that is some beautiful Carne Asada! Thanks I'll keep testing out my grill and testing out different Carne Asada meats. It's disappointing when I can't get it right but I do like learning and trying new things.

[Mayday981]

Howdy & welcome !!!

You could test out more of a  "baking" type cook indirect.....that's a way I'll  do stuff sometimes.....

     -OR-

go extra high heat (above the 300 you were at) & here's the thinking on that way:

the really good Mex type cooks / cookups I've seen do it that way.....real fast to get some char on the pieces.....carne like that is likely either flap or flank meat & has very little fat content compared to most items, so a real hot, quick cook might work well....

Stabbing the thin stuff w/a therm drives me buggy....never can get a clean readout as it's all different thickness & too close to the metal grate......almost have to go by "feel" or trying a quick test piece.....
Also, the reading you're getting from the lid therm will be (most usually) quite different than right on the grate....maybe try out an inexpensive oven therm to get a little better idea as to what's going on at the grate level....






Just place it near where you're cooking, but not directly over coals so you get a decent average.....

Thanks for the advice. I just got a oven thermometer. I'm going to buy some more Carne Asada and Al Pastor meat to grill. Now I have a question. Is there some way for me to estimated how long the meat is going to take to cook with the temperature on the oven thermometer? Or is it all mostly just by looking at the color of the meat?

[Mayday981]

Hello and welcome, Mayday. I've never made that before, but if you're cooking a thin cut of beef like a flank or skirt steak then high (450 and up), direct heat is the way to go.

I would say a minute on one side, turn, a minute, turn back for a minute, then back again for a total of about 4-5 minutes tops.
This way you will get a good Caramelization and get what's called a "bumper to bumper" medium rare. Your not trying to get beautiful sear marks with this cook since your slicing it up

Buckie is right about that dome temp. It will be higher than your grate level, so in hindsight if you were running at 300ish on the dome, your fire was not near hot enough. Get that cheap oven thermo, Try it again with direct, high heat. Flip often and also when you pull it off and after it rest for a few minutes, make sure to slice across the grain. This will give you a more tender and pleasant bite.

Hope it helps!


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Thanks Travis! I just ordered the oven thermometer. I'm going to try your method and grill at 450 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes. May I ask how you estimate the time? Is this mostly experience or is there a way to calculate this?

I appreciate your help!

[Travis]

A good way to start is to just use a watch or the clock on your phone. Have fun!


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[Mayday981]

A good way to start is to just use a watch or the clock on your phone. Have fun!


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Thanks for your help Travis. I tried different pieces at different times. The best was at 4 minutes at 500 degrees.

[Travis]

A good way to start is to just use a watch or the clock on your phone. Have fun!


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Thanks for your help Travis. I tried different pieces at different times. The best was at 4 minutes at 500 degrees.

Awesome. Glad it worked out, man


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[DarrenC]

If you're in an adventurous mood, you can also get a roaring inferno going with lump charcoal, blow all the ash off of it with an air pump or shop vac or hair dryer and lay the meat directly on top of the coals for a minute or so each side before wrapping it for 15 minutes or so...

[Yendor]

The #1 problem that I have seen (and expereienced) is cutting the meat the correct way. If it is cut with the grain of the meat you are going to have a sore jaw from trying to chew it, no matter how expertly you cooked it. Make sure you are cutting against the grain of the meat.

[varekai]

And definitely THAT^^^^^^


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[Big Dawg]

Thanks for the advice. I just got a oven thermometer. I'm going to buy some more Carne Asada and Al Pastor meat to grill. Now I have a question. Is there some way for me to estimated how long the meat is going to take to cook with the temperature on the oven thermometer? Or is it all mostly just by looking at the color of the meat?

Please allow me ask, what is likely, a stupid question . . . . What is Carne Asada/Al Pastor meat?





BD

[varekai]

@Big Dawg , carne asada is made with arranchera, usually skirt, flank or flap steak, sliced thin, marinated and grilled. AND DELICIOUS!! Go find a REAL mexican restaurant (not taco bell) and get some carne asada tacos. Al Pastor I have yet to try but is pork.