Summer is here, and with it, one of the best things that comes with being Latina: the Mexican barbecue party known as the carne asada. It is a great way to spend time with family and friends, have fun, enjoy the sunshine, get down to some music, and eat great food. You may have gone to so many you’ve lost count, but do you feel confident that this is the year you can host your own carne asada? Whenever you’re ready to venture out as la hostess, these Mexican-penned cookbooks will give you the crucial recipes, tips, and tricks to deliver those authentic dishes with puro sabor.
Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral
An entire cookbook dedicated to all things asada is exactly what we need for those summer barbecues. Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral’s book, Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling, teaches all of us about the Mexican celebration, its history and significance, and its food. You will learn how to make guacamole en molcajete, a michelada marinade, corn tortillas, nopales asados, frijoles de la olla, plenty of grilled-meat and vegetable dishes, salsas, aguas frescas, and much more.
My Mexican Mesa, y Listo! Beautiful Flavors, Family Style by Jenny Martinez
Another cookbook that will have you looking like a carne asada pro is Jenny Martinez’s My Mexican Mesa, y Listo! The social media star decided to put a collection of 100 recipes in print for all of eternity – we’re talking Mexican queso, churros, carnitas, homemade salsa, esquite, and more. In addition to an array of helpful recipes, the fun pops of pink and gorgeous food photography makes Martinez’s tome a welcome addition to any cookbook library.
Real Mexican Food: Authentic Recipes for Burritos, Tacos, Salsas, & More by Ben Fordham & Felipe Fuentes Cruz
The title of this cookbook says it all: Real Mexican Food. Penned by Ben Fordham and Felipe Fuentes Cruz, it offers a how-to for a selection of Mexican dishes that I often grab fuera de casa: burritos, tacos, elote asado, salsas, Mexican flan, homemade tortilla chips, and more. It will not only inspire you to host your own carne asada this year, but continue offering taqueria-like meals for the fam and friends year-round.
Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes & Stories From L.A.: A Cookbook by Danny Trejo with Hugh Garvey
If you can’t make it to Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles, fret not. Hollywood veteran Danny Trejo has created a cookbook that you can reference to recreate the Mexican eatery in your neck of the woods. But it’s not super-traditional Mexican food; according to Danny in the book, “There are hundreds of Mexican cookbooks that claim to offer the most authentic, regional, cheffy, easy, technique-driven, healthy, mind-blowing recipes out there. My book is none of those things. It’s a crazy mash-up of the sometimes healthy, Mexican-adjacent, vegan-ish, always delicious food we serve at Trejos.” Recipes include carne asada, carnitas, fried avocado tacos, a michelada, queso fundido, and more.
Mexican Made Easy: Everyday Ingredients Extraordinary Flavor, A Cookbook by Marcela Valladolid
Chef Marcela Valladolid has been teaching us how to make Mexican cuisine since her Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy, premiered in 2010. The next year, Marcela’s cookbook of the same name was published, breaking down how to make dishes such as grilled corn pico de gallo, skirt steak quesadillas, carne asada cheese tacos, and homemade flour tortillas, with ease. While she has created several more cookbooks since then, this one is the best option for mastering the carne asada.
