Name: Carne asada
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1 kg top sirloin steaks, trimmed and cut into broad strips about 2 cm thick; 10 g fine salt, divided; 2 g freshly ground black pepper; 800 g small waxy potatoes, scrubbed; 2 L water for boiling

Region La Salina, Casanare, Orinoquía, Colombia

Category Grilled beef main course

Yield 4 portions

Active time 30 minutes

Cooking time 35 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Carne asada

A fire-browned Casanare beef dish with skewered fillets and potatoes.

Carne asada is documented in La Salina, Casanare, as seasoned beef fillets skewered and browned around a fire, served with potato or yuca. The short record gives the dish its shape but not a household formula. This edition turns that description into a measured outdoor recipe.

The fillets cook quickly over glowing embers. A clean metal skewer makes them easier to turn, while a thermometer checks the centre of the thickest piece. The potatoes boil separately so the beef can be served as soon as it rests.

This is a practical home adaptation using sirloin and boiled potatoes. It is not mamona, a whole-carcass roast or a claim to one definitive La Salina version. Yuca is another documented side, but is not included in the measured ingredient list.

Ingredients

Beef

1 kg top sirloin steaks, trimmed and cut into broad strips about 2 cm thick
10 g fine salt, divided
2 g freshly ground black pepper

Potatoes

800 g small waxy potatoes, scrubbed
2 L water for boiling

Method

Prepare the potatoes Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with the water, bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, until a knife enters easily. Drain and toss with 4 g of the salt. Keep covered.
Season and skewer the beef Pat the beef dry. Season evenly with the remaining 6 g salt and pepper. Thread the strips onto clean food-grade skewers without packing them tightly. Keep the raw meat chilled until the grill is ready.
Cook over embers Arrange a stable bed of glowing charcoal with no active flames touching the food. Grill outdoors, turning the skewers regularly, for about 8–12 minutes depending on thickness and heat. Check the thickest piece with a clean thermometer: whole beef must reach 62.8°C, then rest at least 3 minutes.
Rest and serve Move the skewers to a clean platter and rest the meat for 3 minutes. Serve hot with the potatoes. Use separate clean utensils for cooked food; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Rounded estimate from USDA Foundation Foods raw top-sirloin (FDC 100379) and raw potato composition proxies plus measured salt; cut trim, potato type and salt distribution vary.

Equipment

Large saucepan with lid, outdoor charcoal grill or stable fire-safe brazier, four food-grade stainless-steel skewers, knife, cutting board, instant-read food thermometer and clean platter.

Practical guidance

1. The inventory says “season to taste”; the measured salt and pepper here make four portions repeatable. Adjust salt modestly to suit your table. 2. Choose even pieces around 2 cm thick so they cook at a similar pace. Very thin fillets may dry before they brown. 3. Use metal skewers made for food. Do not use painted, galvanized, rusty or unidentified scrap metal. 4. Cook only outdoors over a stable ember bed, away from dry grass, buildings and combustible items. Move the skewers to a cooler area if dripping fat ignites. 5. A hot surface can brown beef before its centre is safe. Use the thermometer and the three-minute rest; colour alone is not a safety check.

Allergens and food safety

No major allergen is intentionally included. Keep raw beef at or below 4°C and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cook whole steaks to at least 62.8°C and rest 3 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days or freeze, and reheat to 73.9°C.

Final notes

1: The defining combination is seasoned beef fillets, skewers, fire and a potato or yuca side. 2: This measured version keeps outdoor cooking and adds clear times and temperature checks for a home grill.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 4 portions, about 250 g raw beef and 200 g raw potato
Calories: 530 kcal
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Protein: 60 g
Fat: 15 g
Fibre: 5 g
Sodium: 1,100 mg

Carne asada

Ingredients

Beef

Potatoes

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Equipment

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Lomo de cerdo con salsa de mora

Carne asada a la llanera

Lomo de cerdo con moras o lulos