Am I right, or wrong ????

I have a Flank Steak still marinating in a Mexican marinade. The flank is real tender, so I thought, why not cook it the way I eat it, Rare or Medium Rare. Then I thought, I never see meat cooked Rare or Medium rare in Mexican Restaurants. I know going back years ago they use to use Flank steak for Fajitas, in fact I managed a Restaurant that serve it. I also know because Mexican food became so popular, the price of flank steak went from cheap to a high cost piece of meat. I cooked this about medium rare, it was tender with a nice seasoned crust on the outside...........Am I right or wrong, have you ever got rare or medium rare steak in any entree in a Mexican restaurant ??????????? ..thx .........Bill
 

Can't get that in any of the Mexican restaurants I go to.  Looks perfect!

I think you're right. Don't remember ever getting rare steak in a Mexican restaurant...yours looks great,however!

They don't like "Carne Cruda"

Yes.  I have had MR steak in Mexican restaurants in Alaska.  Now all of you, HOLD ON.  There happens to be a large Mexican population in AK.  Why I don't know.  But there is.  Therefore there are quite a few authentic Mexican restaurants with really good food and I have ordered steak (flank or skirt) fajitas and tacos and they were a perfect MR.  I guess I just got lucky.

The photo of your dish looks really good.  Mmmm!

I have never gotten flank like that in Mexican restaurants here or anywhere else. However, next time i go to my favorite place, I may try to order  the meat as you made it, Bill. Great looking fajitas!

I don't consider myself an expert on Mexican food, I think I was in my late 20's when I had my first taco. Mexican food wasn't big in Connecticut when I grew up in the 50's and 60's. I always looked at mexican meat being a bit lower grade. Most of the Mexican people in Mexico didn't have the tender steaks we have in the USA. The mexican people use lesser, tough cuts of beef, then marinate these cuts for flavor and tenderness. I know they use skirt steak, when this is cook properly makes for a good meat to use for mexican entrees. I have worked with and served many people from Mexico, I have never seen any of them ask for rare or medium rare steak, they always ask for the meat to be cook well done, most cases say, make sure there is no red...........I have used sirloin, tenderloin, and flank for fajitas and beef tacos. I like tender meat, no grizzle, I want marinated, seasoned meat seared with a crust, tender and juicy..........thats my kind of gringo mexican approach to making mexican food................Boy am I spoiled...... we live in the land of plenty, why settle for less................Bill
 

I have to say that after being stationed in San Diego for twelve years and now living in Texas, I have never had a medium rare flank steak. Just last week we went to our favorite Mexican place and I ordered the Carne Asada and it was pretty well done but surprisingly not tough. Same with this establishments fajitas. We'll often drive to the Fiesrta market and but their marinated flank steak and I'll cook it sort of medium but in a mexican place, never had it MR.

I've had medium rare flank steak, in a now closed Mexican place near Seattle. It always came like that, they never asked how I wanted it cooked, and I never told them. It was always perfect.
I've tried to make it MR at home, and always end up overcooking it.

pmwchef, You are correct, most use skirt or hanger steak and marinate it, as most people also cannot cut flank correctly. I ran a steak and rib place for years and we would go through @120lbs of Flank a week and at one time it was fairly cost friendly..not any more. It kills my wife and I when we see cooking shows talking about how economical flank is. Where? I also managed a Mexican place and the owner (true blue from Vera Cruz) always said "we can't cook meat correctly and the only way we can cook eggs is well done scrambled"

I'd have to say (and people, don't take this wrong, it's not a "racial thing") that having grown up in an area where I had the flank steak grilled for carne asada, I have never seen it less than medium well. I think the correct answer may have been hit already-----then and now, most Mexican restaurants and markets use a cheaper cut of beef, marinate it til it is tender but also til it can't possibly look rare and then grill it til it is medium well. 

Meats at Antojitos Mexican Market (where I shop) in Laguna Hills
I also think it is a cultural thing, I never have seen it less than well done, but have never seen any meat in a Mexican restaurant less than well done. In fact as I thought of it, even though I always make my meats medium rare (even things like pork chops) I always grill my carne asada and al pastor well done. I had not even thought of that until just now----interesting!

There is a huge difference in beef sold in a US grocery store and beef sold in a Mexican store. Go to a border town and buy ground beef - the amount of fat is unbelievable. Latinos ate skirt steak for years because it is actually the diaphragm and was very inexpensive. Americans substitute flank for skirt because skirt is so expensive.
Latinos have mastered marination and their beef is very tasty regardless of of how done it is.

I've seen this post for a couple of days but was looking for the link to an article that explains REAL Carne Asada
 
First, there is a big misconception as to what Mexican food is here in the US(don't get me started with Rick Bayless please). 
There are so little places here in the US that serve steak MR because they use lower grade meats but that doesn't mean that they use the same cuts in Mexico, I was born in the state of Sinaloa and lived there until my teen years, we and Sonoran's know what carne asada is, and let me tell you is not skirt or flank, usually most of the people living in the US are from the south of Mexico where pork chicken and pejelagarto are mostly consumed, They don't know much about carne asada.
someone mentioned that we use only lower grade cuts, what do you think we do with the rest of the cow? being that Mexicans or any 3rd world country doesn't waste any of the parts, we eat the head, sweetbreads, tail, tripe etc. 
Also we don't use any marinades for Asada, salt and if it gets lucky pepper!
if you have time please read the article.

 
Thank You for reading 

dammit here's the URL just take out the spaces
 
streetgourmetla. com /2009/ 01/chooping -blended -carne -fro-tacos-in. html

I think, it's perfect. First time, I get the recipes here. You are also unable to found this, any Mexican restaurant.
Will you please tell one thing, which restaurant I can get easily ?

Flank steak used to be cheap until the London Broil fad of the 1950's; then it skyrocketed. Baby back ribs used to be the same price per pound as spare ribs; then they became a fad, and now they cost 3 times as much. Skirt steak used to be what diners sold for $8 as a steak sandwich. Then fajitas became in, and the price of THAT skyrocketed (when I say "skyrocketed", I mean in relation to other beef prices).
 
Bart

I'm just guessing here, but could it be that Mexicans and other 3rd World peoples traditionally cook their meats well done in order to kill any "Bugs" that might be in the meat? Just Askin'.

I only see at best medium, but mostly medium well, flank steak fajitas.

The way I understand it is, in Mexico, back in the day the Ranchers would give the workers the lesser quality of meats and organs. The workers used whatever method they could to tenderize the meat for their meals. They had a lot of corn to make masa, I figure they also had a lot fruits and vegetables that grew in the fields. ...........pnwc

pnwchef


The way I understand it is, in Mexico, back in the day the Ranchers would give the workers the lesser quality of meats and organs. The workers used whatever method they could to tenderize the meat for their meals. They had a lot of corn to make masa, I figure they also had a lot fruits and vegetables that grew in the fields. ...........pnwc

You know, if you think about it, it really isn't just a Mexican thing. Most Eastern European foods were like that (Jewish chopped liver and brisket as a couple of examples), our great BBQ tradition (BBQ brisket, pork shoulder etc.----you sure don't go to a BBQ cook off for rare Parterhouse steaks) and many other examples. The average Mexican family and restaurant used all the animal (buche, cabeza, chicaron as well as flank steak and beef clod for machaca). Even though I don't especially care for well done meats, I understand that in many cultures it is common. Who ever saw rare cooked meat, even filet mignon, in a Chinese restaurant. My favorite place does FM cubes and cooks them stir-fried, well done. And you are right on with the tenderizing part------makes cheap (no offense intended) cuts not only palatable but delicious. What would country fried steak (usually a round steak, a cheaper---not lower quality piece) be if it were not pounded before cooking, or veal scallopini for that matter?

Hi Ed, I hope your doing well and staying out of trouble. Your right, most countries don't have the quality of meat that we have in the USA. They also don't have wide open ranges for cattle to roam. Most of europe will also stew to tenderize and break down the meat. The veal that is used in most dishes is flattened thin,but, not tenderized flattened. The Chicken Fried steak is tenderized thin because in most cases they are using a bottom or top round piece of meat.............Bill

I don't recall have any medium rare around San Antonio, most of the meat is well done,but tasty and tender. I did once go to a local place here in Schertz and the fajitas were tough,but most places are tender.You can make it any way you want to at home,so if you prefer it medium rare,then make it like you like it.
I haven't been to la Michocan,Culebra or Fiesta markets in San Antonio to get any meats, though I out to try it some time. Some of these mexican markets also sell the meat already cooked to.

pnwchef


Hi Ed, I hope your doing well and staying out of trouble. Your right, most countries don't have the quality of meat that we have in the USA. They also don't have wide open ranges for cattle to roam. Most of europe will also stew to tenderize and break down the meat. The veal that is used in most dishes is flattened thin,but, not tenderized flattened. The Chicken Fried steak is tenderized thin because in most cases they are using a bottom or top round piece of meat.............Bill

Doing well, thank you. Having way too much fun with my new Traeger pellet smoker.
It is interesting as you look at the countries to the south how none of them are known for steaks and rare/MR meats until you get to South America. Then it's churrascaria from Brazil which is usually items such as medium rare sirloin and filets, or Argentina where their steaks are just charred but rare and about the size of that place in TX that sells the 72 ouncers. I wish there was some sort of food anthropologist who could shed a little more light on this interesting subject.

Personally, I never order Fajitas in a Mexican restaurant as I much prefer other types of Mexican dishes.
However, The picture of your flank steak looks amazing! Go for it!