 |
| My $14 Chipotle Carne Asada Salad (pico, cheese, veggies, tomato salsa and a side of guac) |
Temperatures in my city (Columbus, OH) reached 94 degrees today. Yes, on the first day of October.
OCTOBER! Because of this, I had minimal interest in doing much of anything, let alone sweltering over a hot stove. While I pride myself on preparing my own meals at home - it's unreasonable to think that I would never eat out again. Well today, I stepped outside of my kitchen to try a Low Carb/Keto take on Chipotle's new Carne Asada.
And I'm better for it.
My skepticism peaked when I saw countless Chipotle ads announcing the 'limited time' roll out of another protein/steak option. My biggest question was, "Why?" Are they simply re-purposing a concept they already have? Oh, hey, Taco Bell! I quickly remembered that Chipotle is a pretty stand up company; touting clean food/ingredients and responsible sourcing, which has always stood out to me. So, why not give it a try?
I can usually bet on pushing a few cubes of the original steak option to the side of my signature bowl, due to them being a bit on the tough or mostly fat side. The fact that it's an affordable and easily accessible moment to enjoy steak usually makes the sacrifice of a few cubes worth the overall indulgence. But, I think that the new Carne Asada is going to give those original steak cubes a run for its moo-ney! It was flavorful, and best of all - TENDER! No slice was spared, rather, enjoyed.
How it's made: Chipotle's Carne Asada is cooked sous-vide (a cooking method that involves vacuum-sealing and submerging a protein in warm water). It is then quickly seared - reaching a pink center or medium cook. It's hand-sliced into strips and paired with a mouth-watering blend of seasonings of chipotle peppers, cinnamon, clove, and Kosher salt. Then sprinkled with the refreshing and on brand juice of a lime. The new offering is described by Chipotle's VP, Neville Panthaky, as:
... very simple, very straightforward.
I totally agree! It's simple, straightforward, and delicious and how I prefer my own food. I will definitely be trying these again soon before the 'limited time' runs out.
Have you tried Chipotle's Carne Asada?
What is your go-to meal at Chipotle?
