Americans deal with ethnic food like we deal with anything else: take the bull by the horns, wrestle it to the ground, then spray paint it red white and blue. This holds true for every foreign food that’s ever had the balls to show its face in our beautiful country. Panda Express ruined Chinese take-out. Taco Bell ruined Mexican. We have a certain talent for embracing something beautiful, then accidentally suffocating it with our giant corporate biceps. Chinese people don’t eat orange chicken. Mexicans shake their heads at the news of a Doritos-themed taco shell.
Even at restaurants that aren’t part of a corporate conglomerate, owners are forced to cater to American taste buds. Sometimes this means sacrificing cultural identity to keep the business afloat. Sorry Mr. Chang, but I don’t find duck feet or fish heads particularly appetizing, regardless of their connection to your nation’s culinary tradition. Industrial farming practices have taught me to expect neat, uniform pieces of flesh that smell and taste like rubber. Do you have any orange chicken instead?
Southern California taco shops are the same way. Despite their attempts to retain a hole-in-the-wall image that screams U.S. Border Patrol, shop owners find themselves posting a quasi-traditional menu that dances back and forth between mexicano and americano. Traditional items like carne asada are tweaked to fit American taste buds: carne asada nachos, “California” burritos, and so forth.
I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Because it’s not. It’s what makes Southern California cuisine so dynamic and interesting; a unique hybrid of disparate cultures that have managed to live together in harmony (cough) for at least three centuries. Most of all, it’s delicious.
Here’s a recipe for classic Mexican carne asada. The traditional way to serve it is fajita style, with fresh guacamole, grilled veggies, black beans, and freshly cut salsa. But don’t let that stop you from being a typical American. Throw it on french fries, tortilla chips, maybe a slice of Wonder Bread. I don’t really care. Just enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
1 lime
1 jalapeño
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Directions: Place steak in a shallow dish. Finely chop the cilantro and garlic. Combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Coat the steak with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high. Grill the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, until medium rare.
