El Asado

Before you start

• Cure the tasajo.

  Lay the thin slices of beef on a cutting board and sprinkle both sides evenly with the coarse kosher salt. Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet, lay the salted beef flat in a single layer, and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. The circulating air simulates the Oaxacan air-drying process.

• Blend the adobo paste.

  Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly toast the guajillo chiles for about 10 seconds per side until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and blend the chiles with the peeled garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and 1 tsp kosher salt until you achieve a thick, smooth paste.

• Marinate the cecina.

  Coat the thin slices of pork entirely in the adobo paste. Layer them in a glass container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

• Blister the salsa.

  Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Char the Anaheim peppers, serrano, whole tomatoes, onion slice, and unpeeled garlic until blackened in spots and soft. Peel the garlic, then grind everything in a molcajete or pulse briefly in a food processor with coarse salt into a rustic, slightly chunky salsa.

Ingredients

• thinly sliced beef1 lb
• coarse kosher salt1 1/2 tbsp
• thinly sliced pork leg or loin1 lb
• dried guajillo chiles6 med
• garlic3 small
• apple cider vinegar3 tbsp
• dried Mexican oregano1/2 tsp
• ground cumin1/4 tsp
• whole cloves2 small
• Mexican cinnamon stick1/2 inch
• whole black peppercorns3 small
• kosher salt1 tsp
• Anaheim peppers4 med
• serrano pepper1 small
• Roma tomatoes3 med
• white onion1 thick slice
• garlic1 large
• scallions1 bunch
• Mexican chorizo1/2 lb
• corn tortillas12 med
• limes2 med
• radishes4 med

Method

1. 01

   Fire up the skillet.

   Open your windows. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking lightly, then add a minimal brush of high-heat oil.

2. 02

   Char the sides.

   Blister the scallions in the skillet until charred and soft, then set aside. In the same pan, cook the chorizo links until cooked through, then remove and slice.

3. 03

   Sear the tasajo.

   Remove the beef from the fridge. Sear it in the smoking hot skillet for exactly 60 to 90 seconds per side. It is so thin it will cook almost instantly. Remove to a cutting board.

4. 04

   Sear the cecina.

   Sear the adobo-coated pork in the hot skillet. The sugars in the chiles will char quickly, giving you authentic blackened edges. Cook for about 2 minutes per side.

5. 05

   Assemble the platter.

   Slice the tasajo and cecina into wide strips. Arrange them on a massive board alongside the sliced chorizo and charred scallions. Serve immediately with hot tortillas, the blistered salsa, radishes, and lime.

Notes

• The right cuts of meat make all the difference.

  Ask your local Latin butcher for 'milanesa' cut beef and pork. If you're shopping at a standard American supermarket, ask for thinly sliced sirloin tip and thin pork chops, then pound them down to 1/8-inch thickness at home.

• Substituting the elusive chile de agua.

  True Oaxacan chile de agua is virtually impossible to source fresh in the States. The Anaheim pepper is the closest botanical and flavor substitute—roasting it alongside a serrano perfectly mimics the tang, fleshiness, and necessary heat of the original.