Carne asada fries are a local dish speciality found on the menus of restaurants primarily in the American Southwest,[2] including San Diego,[3][4] where it originated.[5]

Carne asada fries
Place of originUnited States, Mexico
Region or stateSan Diego, California
Associated cuisineMexican-American Cuisine
Main ingredientsFrench fries, carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, cheese
Food energy
(per serving)
1129.0[1] kcal

History

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Carne asada fries are a Mexican-American dish originating in the Chicano community in San Diego.[6] This item is not normally featured on the menu at more traditional Mexican restaurants.[5] Lolita's Mexican Food in San Diego claims to have originated the dish in the late 1990s, inspired by a suggestion from their tortilla distributor.[7]

The dish is also served at Petco Park[8] and Dodger Stadium.[9] By 2015, fast food chain Del Taco began to sell the item.[10]

 
Carne asada fries

Ingredients

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The dish typically consists of french fries, carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and sometimes salsa.[11] Typically, the fries are of the shoestring variety, but other cuts may be used as well. The carne asada is usually finely chopped to avoid the need for a knife or additional cutting on the part of the consumer. The cheese is commonly cotija, although many establishments use a less-costly shredded cheese mix which melts with the other ingredients and keeps longer.[12][13]

In Los Angeles, the dish may also contain refried beans.[14]

The dish is high in calories, with a meal-sized portion containing 2000 calories or more.[15][16]

Similar dishes

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A similar dish, steak frites, tends to cost more.[17]


References

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  1. ^ "Carne Asada Fries". recipe. food.com. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  2. ^ Josh Cary; Tom Jackson (21 April 2017). "Carne Asada Fries". Cooking With Fire. Wichita, Kansas: KMUW. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Grapevine eatery all about peace, love and good burgers". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  4. ^ Gold, Jonathan (November 22, 2007). "My Taco: Frying High". LA Weekly. Village Voice Media. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Steve Rodriguez (30 June 2009). "Carne Asada Fries: The new American comfort food". San Diego News Network. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2011. Carne Asada Fries are obviously a local favorite — a San Diego area original that is apparently starting to catch on in other parts of the Southwest. This dish is a staple of Mexican fast food joints in the area, but not something you see on the menu of a full-fledged Mexican restaurant.
  6. ^ "The Issue With Eliminating the Context of Califas' Carne Asada Fries". Remezcla. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  7. ^ Blumberg, Nick (27 June 2014). "Carne Asada Fries, The Can't-Miss Mexican-American Fast Food". KJZZ. Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  8. ^ Josh Pahigian; Kevin O'Connell (27 March 2012). The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip, 2nd: A Fan's Guide to Major League Stadiums. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 390. ISBN 978-0-7627-8391-5.
  9. ^ "Dodger Stadium Announces New Food Options: Fried Dodger Dogs, Carne Asada Fries + More". KROQ. Los Angeles. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  10. ^ John Locanthi (8 December 2015). "Haute-N-Ready: Del Taco's Carne Asada Fries". Willamette Week. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  11. ^ Allen Borgen (25 December 2008). "Stop at Picante and say, `Fill 'er up!'". San Bernardino Sun. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
    Maria Desiderata Montana (18 September 2012). Food Lovers' Guide to® San Diego: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-7627-8904-7.
  12. ^ Melinda Bardon (25 February 2009). "Tacos and grit". The Vanguard. mtvu.com. Retrieved 14 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ Allen Borgen (25 December 2008). "Stop at Picante and say, `Fill 'er up!'". The Sun. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  14. ^ Christine Pasalo (January 2013). "Meet Rene Gube". San Diego Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2012. One thing I miss about San Diego is… carne asada fries. They do it wrong in LA. Either the guacamole is weird or they put a lot of beans in it. They just don't do it San Diego-style.
  15. ^ "Carne Asada Fries". The Daily Plate. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  16. ^ Justin Weisbrod (12 October 2008). "Burritology 101: what lies beneath the tortilla". The Daily Aztec. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  17. ^ Daniel Wheaton; Shaffer Grubb (22 August 2016). "Video: Why steak frites are more expensive than carne asada fries". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
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