Carne Asada Marinade/Seasoning

Some recipes seem very close to Cuban mojo de ajo: sour orange juice (or a mix of orange and lime), olive oil, garlic, salt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen sour oranges in Mexico, but that’s probably because it’s regional.

I looked for sour oranges at 3 markets today but couldn’t find any.

I’ve seen them fresh only around December-February. Cubans use the bottled stuff.

La Lechonera Marinade Naranja Agria Sour Orange - 23 Fl. Oz. - Safeway.

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Yeah, I couldn’t find bottled stuff either. I was surprised.

Yeah, in Florida we saw them in winter citrus season.

Mexican markets usually have the bottled.

Instacart can be useful for figuring out who has what.

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I went to 3 Mexican markets in my area including a Vallarta (sold out). None of them had it. :cry:

The salsa fresca is ready.

Making the salsa de aguacate later.

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Weird. I wonder if there’s a pandemic-related supply chain issue?

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Oh yeah.

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Umami.

I like the idea of a splash or two. Just like Worcestershire, it enhances beefiness, right ?:slight_smile: Thanks for the great tips!

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Do NOT use the bottled stuff, it is vile and not anything like the real deal. Goya naranja agria should be easy to find, but to me it has a very chemical aftertaste. I have no problems finding it in San Diego. Here is a link to information about Seville oranges which are the most common of the sour orange varieties. As you’ll see, their season is from Winter to early spring.

The best substitute for real naranja agria is 2/3 fresh OJ to 1/3 fresh lime juice. You can also try a combination of pomelo juice and mandarin orange juice, altho’ I’m not sure either of those would be very easy to find either :grin: The Goya stuff is junk, use fresh OJ and lime juice instead and adjust to suit your needs and tastes, your carne asada will be better for it.

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Goya might not be the best brand.

Bottled is a weird idea to me, but I’ve never noticed any odd taste in the finished product at restaurants that use it.

This was sold out, too.

I’m not a fan of using ANY bottled juices for cooking, lemon, lime, garlic, any of that stuff. Fresh is always best and a noticeable difference.

I only used 1/2 a juicy orange to 5 limes , that was plenty. Past experience with too much OJ.

I also used olive oil, a touch of canola to keep the olive oil from solidifying, kosher salt, pepper, thin sliced onions, cilantro. Divided my marinade and meat and I added a splash of soy to half the marinade to see the difference.

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And how was it? Delicious I’m sure :slightly_smiling_face:

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Excellent.

So, blind taste test… EVERYONE preferred the batch that had the tiny bit of soy. Aha!!!

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Thank you, @Dommy @DiningDiva @aaqjr @ebethsdad @robert for all of the help and suggestions.

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I love fucbing up recipes,. Putting on your own touch . Bravo.

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I think your CA looks spectacular. Great job!

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Fabulous job! You got a great sear on those bad boys!

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THIS. We only use the fresh stuff because we have a family supplier. Otherwise, it’s not a make or break thing for us. We just amp up our recados and use white vinegar. Sour orange isn’t too common in Mexico outside of the Yucatan. It’s quite plentiful, there are big trucks that come into the neighborhoods and sell them. But it’s highly seasonal…

https://www.yucatan.com.mx/yucatan/la-naranja-agria-gana-terreno-en-mercados-locales

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