Tasajo Rápido al Sartén con Guacamole y Chapulines
(tah-SAH-ho RAH-pee-doh ahl sahr-TEN kohn gwah-kah-MO-leh ee chah-poo-LEE-ness)
La Comida (The Midday Guisado Pot)
Walk into the Pasillo de Humo in Oaxaca’s Mercado 20 de Noviembre, and you are instantly hit by the intoxicating, primal smoke of rendering beef fat. That is tasajo. It isn’t jerky, and it isn’t braised; it’s fresh beef shaved paper-thin, salted, and left to the dry mountain air to concentrate its deepest flavors. In a diaspora kitchen, the modern refrigerator acts as your curing chamber. Paired with a rough-mashed guacamole spiked with the sour, earthy crunch of toasted grasshoppers, this is unapologetic, lightning-fast Oaxacan comfort food that demands nothing more than a smoking-hot skillet and a cold beer.
Before you start
Initiate the cure on Sunday afternoon.
While this is an incredibly fast weeknight dinner, the secret lies in the refrigerator cure; spending ten minutes slicing and salting the beef on a weekend means you are seconds away from an authentic meal on Tuesday.
Ingredients
- flank steak1 lb
- coarse kosher salt1 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil1 tsp
- Hass avocados3 large
- white onion1/4 cup
- Anaheim pepper1 med
- Serrano pepper1/2 med
- fresh cilantro1/2 cup
- limes2 med
- dried chapulines1/2 cup
- salt1/4 tsp
- corn tortillas8 med
- radishes4 med
Method
- 01
Slice and pound the beef into thin sheets.
Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the partially frozen flank steak against the grain into sheets no thicker than a quarter-inch, then place the slices between parchment paper and pound gently with the flat side of a meat mallet until almost translucent.
- 02
Cure the meat in the refrigerator.
Sprinkle the coarse salt evenly over both sides of the pounded beef, arrange in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 48 hours to dehydrate and concentrate the flavor.
- 03
Toast the chapulines.
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toss the dried grasshoppers for a minute or two until fragrant and perfectly crispy, then set aside.
- 04
Build the guacamole base.
In a molcajete or a large bowl, gently mash the diced onion, minced Anaheim and Serrano peppers, cilantro, and a pinch of salt to release their essential oils.
- 05
Fold in the avocado and chapulines.
Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl, add the lime juice, and mash with a fork until creamy but still textured, folding in half of the toasted chapulines at the very end.
- 06
Flash-sear the tasajo.
Get a large cast-iron skillet literally smoking hot, wipe with a wisp of neutral oil if needed, and sear the cured beef sheets for exactly 30 to 45 seconds per side until the edges crisp and the fat renders.
- 07
Serve immediately.
Pull the seared beef off the heat and serve straight away alongside the grasshopper guacamole, warm corn tortillas, and fresh radishes.
Notes
Trust the dry cure over a wet marinade.
First-generation cooks often panic that unmarinated meat lacks flavor, but the combination of dehydration and salt naturally alters the proteins, creating a deeply concentrated, savory essence that a wet marinade would completely ruin.
Replicate the elusive chile de agua.
True Oaxacan chile de agua is notoriously difficult to find outside of Mexico, but blending a sweet, herbaceous Anaheim pepper with the sharp bite of a half Serrano perfectly mimics its botanical profile and heat.
Do not skip the grasshoppers.
Chapulines are the soul of the guacamole dish, providing a sour, salty crunch that is entirely unique to Mesoamerican cuisine; they are easily ordered online or found at a good local Latin market.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.