Kikko de Mayo



Cinco de Mayo is honestly one of my favorite holidays!! The culture is so rich in history and the food is amazing!!! Can you believe that I did not even know what real Mexican food was until I married my husband? Cinco de Mayo would not be Cinco de Mayo without some juicy carne asada. When I was asked to give Ponzu a try for Cinco de Mayo I was not too sure what to expect - but I love trying new things and was anxious to give this a try!

I had bought extra meat so that I could invite a few neighbors over to get their opinion too. I fired up the grill and cooked up some carne asada that I had marinated the night before with their Lime and Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade. Before I would always just throw some ingredients in a bowl along with the meat and it was always "good enough" but this was so much more easier and had the flavor that gave it an extra kick! Everyone loved it and I even ended up running out of food. I love the lime flavor - without it this wouldn't work. My daughter wouldn't eat it - but then the only thing she will eat is chicken nuggets! My son it seems as he's getting older he is trying more things and I'm proud to say he loves my cooking!! :) This is actually the most I have ever seen him eat - he is only seven years old and ate three tacos!! Now my husband was the real test....he's Mexican and grew up eating "real" Mexican food. I was afraid he was not going to like it - or would like it and just would not admit to it. Seems like if I like it - then he will always find something wrong with it! lol! I made him try it plain to get the real flavor of the marinade, then I had him put all his toppings on it including hot sauce. He actually loved it too - the meat came out so juicy and tender, I was pretty impressed with myself too :) He preferred it with the toppings - he did note that it did taste a bit too salty, but that's coming from a guy who puts literally tablespoons of salt on his food. That was probably just him putting too much salt on top of the marinade. It tasted perfect!! Next time I think I would only marinade it for the day and not overnight - but all in all it tasted great - better than expected.

As your getting your meat out for tomorrow's celebration try the recipe below and don't tell anyone - see if they can notice the difference!

Lime & Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade

  • 2 lbs flank or skirt steak (or any meat labeled carne asada)
  • 1 cup Kikkoman Lime Ponzu
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 4 crushed garlic cloves
Combine all ingredients, pour over steak and marinade overnight - how much easier can it get?

  • Ponzu, a citrus seasoned dressing and sauce, delivers the perfect balance of salty, tangy and sweet, helping to bring out delicious citrus flavors in Mexican dishes such as carne asada, fajitas and even salsa!
  • Kikkoman Ponzu, available in lemon or lime flavors, can be used right from the bottle as a salad dressing, marinade or dipping sauce in a variety of delicious recipes.
  • Kikkoman Ponzu can be found in the Asian aisle at your local supermarket but belongs in all different types of food – especially Mexican.
  • Get ready to prepare a delicious Cinco de Mayo meal into a ¡Kikko de Mayo Fiesta! with the help of this fat-free “secret” ingredient – Kikkoman Ponzu!