In Mexican cuisine, "Carne asada" (lit., "roasted meat") is an item that consists of thin beef steak. The meat can be marinated by rubbing with olive oil and salt or with spice rubs such as lemon and pepper or garlic salt, lime, or Worcestershire sauce, before being cooked on a grill. The meat can be served alone or chopped and can be used in tacos, burritos, piruetas, or quesadillas. Carne asada is often served with fresh guacamole, grilled onions, black beans or frijoles charros, and fresh salsa.
There are two types of carne asada in Mexico: the type from northern states where the climate is more arid, and the type from the central-southern states where the climate is more humid.
The dish is commonly prepared in the northern parts of Mexico (in the states of Sonora, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Durango, and Tamaulipas) as well as in the American Southwest (especially Southern California and Texas). It can be found as the main ingredient in tacos and burritos, or is simply served stand-alone. It is sold at Mexican meat markets called "carnicerías" in the American Southwest and especially those states with Mexican/Mexican American enclaves.
When purchasing carne asada from meat markets, consumers have two options available to them regarding the amount of preparation the steak has undergone prior to purchase: prepared ("preparada"), marinated meat as described above, serving as a time-saver for the home cook, but typically at higher cost; and no preparation ("no preparada"), unprepared meat, allowing for a home cook to create one's own marinade.
When describing an event in Mexico and the American Southwest, the phrase "carne asada" is the equivalent of describing the social barbecue.[1]