Parrillada Norteña
(pah-ree-yah-dah nohr-tehn-yah)
Fin de Semana: Weekend Parrilladas and Sunday Suppers
If you drive through Monterrey on a Saturday afternoon, you don't need a map to find the party—you just follow the smoke. The parrillada is less a recipe and more a weekly ritual of fire, meat, and communal eating. Forget the sizzling, over-marinated fajita platters of generic Tex-Mex chains; authentic borderland barbecue is about high heat, heavily salted thin cuts of quality beef, and blistered sausages handed out straight from the coals. We’ve streamlined the beautiful, sprawling chaos of the weekend grill so you can pull off this massive platter on a busy weeknight in an Ohio suburb, anchored by the ultimate secret weapon of the north: deeply savory, pork-fat-laced frijoles con veneno.
Before you start
Prepare the grill.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for two-zone cooking: one side screaming hot, the other side medium heat.
Prep the vegetables.
Toss the green onions and peppers in the neutral oil and a pinch of salt.
Ingredients
- skirt steak1 1/2 lb
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- smoked sausage loop14 oz
- green onions2 bunches
- jalapeño or serrano peppers4 med
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- coarse kosher saltto taste
- freshly cracked black pepperto taste
- canned pinto beans30 oz
- raw Mexican pork chorizo1/2 cup
- lard2 tbsp
- ancho chili powder1/2 tsp
- yellow corn tortillas1 package
- Monterey Jack cheese1 1/2 cup
- limes2 med
Method
- 01
Hack the veneno.
In a medium saucepan, heat the lard over medium-high heat, add the raw chorizo, and fry hard for 5 to 7 minutes until crispy and the oil turns deep red, then stir in the chili powder for 30 seconds.
- 02
Reserve the poison.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop out three-quarters of the crispy chorizo and 2 tablespoons of the red fat into a small bowl, leaving the rest in the pan.
- 03
Mash the beans.
Pour the undrained pinto beans into the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and smash them into a thick, rustic puree with a potato masher, keeping them warm.
- 04
Start the chicken and appetizers.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them on the medium-heat side of the grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Throw the butterflied sausages, green onions, and peppers onto the hot side, rolling until blistered and charred (about 3 to 4 minutes), then remove to a cutting board.
- 05
Sear the steak.
Aggressively salt the skirt steak on both sides and throw it onto the screaming hot side of the grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a dark crust forms.
- 06
Rest the meat.
Remove the steak and chicken to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- 07
Make the olvidadas.
Turn the grill to low, toss the corn tortillas directly on the grates, top with a handful of cheese, and close the lid for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottoms are crunchy and the cheese is bubbling.
- 08
Assemble the platter.
Slice the resting skirt steak against the grain, chop the chicken, and arrange all the meats and charred vegetables on a massive platter.
- 09
Serve the feast.
Pour the hot beans into a bowl, crown them with the reserved red chorizo fat, and serve everything immediately with the crispy olvidadas and fresh lime wedges.
Notes
The Grandma's Rule.
You are legally required to chop up one of the cooked sausages, wrap pieces in a warm tortilla, and feed it to whoever is standing next to the grill while the rest of the food cooks.
The authentic Norteño cut.
If you want to be incredibly authentic to Monterrey, look for chuck eye steak (the native aguja norteña) and ask the butcher to slice it half an inch thick—it's rich, marbled, and a far more traditional alternative to skirt steak.
From Cook Tex-Mex.