Name: Carne asada en tiesto — Antioquia clay-griddled steak
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1500 g beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 steaks about 2 cm thick; 30 ml fresh lemon juice; 30 ml neutral vegetable oil; 150 g yellow onion, finely chopped; 6 g garlic, crushed to a paste; 5 g panela, finely grated (optional); 8 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper; 5 ml neutral vegetable oil, for greasing the tiesto or griddle; 8 plain corn arepas, about 60 g each, warmed

A wide platter of seared steak over arepas, with the clay tiesto behind it.

Region Antioquia, Andean Colombia

Category Marinated steak cooked on a clay griddle and served over arepas

Yield 8 portions

Preparation time 30 minutes, including a 15-minute marinade

Active time About 30 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Carne asada en tiesto — Antioquia clay-griddled steak

Briefly marinate tender steak with lemon, onion and garlic, sear it on a heated tiesto, then serve it over warm arepas.

Carne asada en tiesto is listed in the Antioquia section of Colombia’s national traditional-recipe inventory. The documented method is direct and built around its cooking surface: cut the tenderloin into individual portions, rub it with lemon juice, oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, leave it for 15 minutes, then sear both sides on a lightly greased heated clay tiesto. The steaks are served over hot arepas. Panela is optional in the recorded ingredient list.

This home version keeps that short marinade and simple seasoning while making the quantities and doneness repeatable. It uses 1.5 kg of beef tenderloin cut into eight steaks, one per serving, and includes one plain arepa for each person. The historical entry calls the cut “solomillo” but does not explicitly name the animal. This edition interprets it as beef tenderloin, a practical reading of the dish name and category; the source ambiguity remains. If your butcher uses “solomillo” for another animal, check the label and follow the safe cooking temperature for that meat.

A tiesto is a clay cooking vessel or griddle. Use one only if its maker rates it for the heat source and gives instructions for preheating; unsuitable pottery can crack with sudden or direct heat. A heavy cast-iron griddle is a reliable substitute when you cannot verify the tiesto’s rating. For whole-muscle beef steaks, cook the centre to 63°C and let the meat rest for at least three minutes. The source’s “to taste” instruction describes preference, not a food-safety endpoint.

Ingredients

Steak and marinade

1500 g beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 steaks about 2 cm thick
30 ml fresh lemon juice
30 ml neutral vegetable oil
150 g yellow onion, finely chopped
6 g garlic, crushed to a paste
5 g panela, finely grated (optional)
8 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper

For cooking and serving

5 ml neutral vegetable oil, for greasing the tiesto or griddle
8 plain corn arepas, about 60 g each, warmed

Method

Cut and dry the steaks Pat the beef dry. If it is not already portioned, cut it across the grain into eight steaks about 2 cm thick. Aim for an even thickness so the pieces finish close together. Keep raw beef and its juices away from the arepas and other ready-to-eat ingredients. Wash your hands, knife and board after handling the meat.
Make the short marinade Stir together the lemon juice, 30 ml oil, chopped onion, crushed garlic, optional panela, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the mixture over all sides of the steaks. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. This brief rest seasons the surface; it is not intended to tenderize the centre. Do not leave raw meat at room temperature while it marinates, and discard the used marinade rather than serving it as a sauce.
Heat the tiesto safely Check the maker’s directions before heating a clay tiesto. Use direct flame or a stovetop only if that specific vessel is rated for it, and bring it up to temperature gradually as directed. If its heat rating is unknown, use a heavy cast-iron griddle instead. Once hot, brush the surface with the measured 5 ml oil. It should be hot enough for an immediate sizzle, but the oil should not smoke heavily.
Sear the steaks Lift the steaks from the marinade and let excess liquid fall away; a thick coating of onion can burn before the meat browns. Cook in uncrowded batches, turning each steak once with clean tongs. The exact time depends on thickness and the cooking surface, so begin checking after a few minutes rather than relying on a fixed clock. Insert a clean instant-read thermometer sideways into the centre of the thickest steak. Continue cooking until it reaches 63°C. Browned edges and a juicy appearance are useful cues, but colour alone cannot confirm a safe temperature.
Rest the beef and warm the arepas Move each cooked steak to a clean plate and rest it for at least 3 minutes. Keep cooked portions separate from the plate and utensils that held raw beef. While the steaks rest, warm the arepas on a clean, dry griddle or in a pan until hot through. If working in batches, hold earlier steaks hot and covered while the remaining pieces cook; do not place them back into the raw marinade.
Serve over arepas Set one warm arepa on each plate and place a rested steak over it. Spoon a small amount of browned onion and garlic from the cooking surface on top, if desired. Serve at once while the arepas are warm. Do not pour uncooked marinade over the finished steaks.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use raw beef tenderloin as a composition proxy and include measured seasoning, the approximate oil retained, and one plain arepa per serving. The optional panela is excluded. Actual values vary with beef trimming, griddle oil, arepa size and brand, and how much salt and marinade remain on the steaks; the figures are estimates rather than laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

Choose a tender, evenly cut steak. Tenderloin is the source’s named cut in the inventory summary and the cookbook entry. If your shop labels cuts differently, ask for a tender steak suitable for quick griddle cooking and cut it into eight similar portions. Uneven pieces make safe doneness harder to manage because thin steaks finish before thick ones. Treat the clay surface carefully. A traditional tiesto gives the recipe its defining technique, but not every earthenware dish is made for direct heat. Follow the maker’s heating and care instructions. Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as putting a hot vessel on a cold wet counter. Use cast iron if the pottery’s heat rating or condition is uncertain. Keep the marinade short. Lemon, onion and garlic season the meat’s surface during the documented 15-minute rest. A longer soak is not needed for this recipe and can make the exterior wet, which interferes with browning. Keep the covered bowl refrigerated during the rest. Manage the onion so it browns rather than burns. Let excess marinade drip from each steak before it reaches the hot surface. If loose onion is charring quickly, scrape off the excess and add it to the pan only after turning the steak or while the meat rests. The finished garnish should be browned and fragrant, not blackened. Use the temperature and rest as the safety check. Check the thickest steak, especially when pieces vary. A reading of 63°C followed by a rest of at least three minutes is the target for whole-muscle beef steak. If the cut is ground, rolled, stuffed or pierced throughout, this endpoint may not apply; use the appropriate higher guidance for that preparation. Warm the arepas near the end. Plain corn arepas are a simple base and keep the focus on the steak. Heat them while the cooked meat rests so they reach the table warm without crowding the tiesto. Check packaged arepas for added allergens or cross-contact warnings.

Serving and planning

The cookbook serves the steak over hot arepas. Put one arepa under each portion and bring the plates to the table as soon as the steaks have rested. A crisp tomato salad or sliced avocado can be served separately, but neither is part of the measured base recipe. Keep accompaniments modest so the short lemon-and-onion marinade remains distinct. You can chop the onion and garlic and measure the seasonings earlier in the day. Marinate the steaks for 15 minutes in the refrigerator immediately before cooking. For the best browning, cook the steaks close to serving time rather than searing them well ahead. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow covered container and reheat until steaming hot; the texture will be more cooked after reheating.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

The steak is pale instead of browned. The surface may be wet, the tiesto may not be fully hot, or the cooking batch may be crowded. Let excess marinade drip away, preheat the rated cooking surface properly and sear fewer pieces at once. Do not raise the heat beyond the vessel maker’s directions. The onion burns before the steak is ready. Remove loose pieces from the steak before searing. Brown the onion separately on the griddle after the steak is turned, or cook it briefly in the pan juices while the meat rests. Discard any charred bitter pieces. Can I cook the steaks to a different preference? The historical recipe says to cook both sides “to taste,” but this version uses the safe consumer endpoint for whole beef steaks: 63°C followed by a three-minute rest. A different preference does not replace that safety check. Can I use panela? Yes. The source marks finely grated panela as optional; this measured version includes only 5 g. It rounds the lemon and onion seasoning without turning the steak sweet. Omit it if you prefer, and note that the nutrition estimate excludes the optional panela.

Allergens and food safety

The base recipe contains beef and plain corn arepas. Packaged arepas may include additional ingredients or cross-contact warnings, so check the label. Keep raw beef separate from cooked food, wash hands and utensils after handling it, and discard the marinade that touched raw meat. Cook whole-muscle steaks to 63°C at the centre and rest at least 3 minutes. Use only a clay tiesto rated for the chosen heat source; otherwise use a heavy cast-iron griddle. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat them to 74°C.

Final notes

Remember 1: The 15-minute lemon, onion and garlic rest is a short seasoning step; keep it refrigerated. Remember 2: Serve each safely cooked, rested steak over a warm arepa, as the Antioquia recipe records.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One steak with one plain corn arepa, one-eighth of the recipe
Calories: About 425 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 27 g
Protein: About 42 g
Fat: About 18 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 590 mg

Carne asada en tiesto — Antioquia clay-griddled steak

Ingredients

Steak and marinade

For cooking and serving

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Serving and planning

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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