Meaty addition! While fast food restaurants such as Burger King and White Castle are adding items to their menus that are vegan and/or vegetarian-friendly, Chipotle is going in the opposite direction.
Though the popular Mexican chain does offer veggie-centric options, its latest addition — carne asada — is nothing but meat. More specifically, the new offering, which will be available at Chipotle locations across the country starting Thursday, September 19, is premium steak that has been cut into tender slices, seasoned with fresh-squeezed lime juice and finished with hand-chopped cilantro and a blend of signature spices.
Furthermore, fad dieters will be pleased to know that this new protein option, which can be added to any of the eatery’s tacos, burritos, salads and more, has been officially approved for the Whole30® program, and is compliant with a paleo diet.
“Our carne asada steak is amazingly tender, hand cut, and grilled fresh every day,” said Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief marketing officer, via a press release. “It performed incredibly well in the test markets and we’re excited to be introducing this terrific, new steak nationwide for a limited time.”
To mark carne asada’s big debut, Chipotle teamed up with film director David Gelb to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the careful preparation and details that go into cooking the seasoned meat. Gelb, who is the director and creator of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Chef’s Table and Street Food, shot multiple spots that are a continuation of Chipotle’s Behind the Foil campaign that launched in February 2019.
That initiative, which highlights actual Chipotle team members and provides an inside look at the real, fresh food and preparation that happens in Chipotle kitchens every day, was created after the restaurant was at the center of several food-borne illness outbreaks.
So how can you try this new carne asada for yourself? The food will join Chipotle’s original steak on menus for a limited time from Thursday after successfully going through the company’s stage gate process, which included pilot programs in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Fresno, California. Customers nationwide can also get carne asada delivered straight to their doors free every Sunday in September by ordering via Chipotle’s app or website.
Carne asada is the California-based company’s newest protein addition since the return of chorizo in September 2018. Chipotle released its first queso a year earlier, but is currently tweaking the recipe for that dish and testing new varieties after the initial iteration wasn’t a hit with customers.
