The Tijuana Deluxe Plate
Chapter 2 — The Meats: The Slow and Marinated Proteins
The taquero heaps charred carne asada beside the pinto beans, drags a ladle of salsa roja across the plate, and drops a foil-wrapped stack of tortillas on the edge until the plastic platter sags. The Tijuana Deluxe Plate demands that same overlap, a kitchen-counter feast of marinated pork and hand-mashed salsa washed down with a cold glass of horchata. At home, take the time to marinate with citrus and acid overnight, track down real manteca for the beans, and double-warm the tortillas so they stand up to the fat.
Before you start
Prepare the adobo paste.
Flash-toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry carbon-steel skillet for 10 to 15 seconds until fragrant, then submerge in boiling water for 20 minutes before blending aggressively with the vinegar, orange juice, 6 cloves of garlic, oregano, cumin, peppercorns, whole cloves, and 1 tablespoon of salt into a smooth, thick paste.
Marinate the pork overnight.
Massage the adobo paste into every crevice of the pork shoulder steaks and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours; marinating with citrus and acid overnight is non-negotiable for achieving the correct tenderization and flavor depth.
Marinate the skirt steak.
Combine the soy sauce, 1/2 cup of lime juice, milk, 4 minced cloves of garlic, the roughly chopped portion of onion, black pepper, and oil, then pour over the steak and let sit for no more than 4 hours.
Ingredients
- pork shoulder3 lb
- dried guajillo chiles7 large
- dried ancho chiles3 large
- white vinegar1/2 cup
- fresh orange juice1/2 cup
- garlic11 med cloves
- Mexican oregano1 tbsp
- cumin seeds1 tsp
- black peppercorns1/2 tsp
- whole cloves3 med
- skirt steak3 lb
- soy sauce1/4 cup
- fresh lime juice3/4 cup
- whole milk1/4 cup
- white onion1 large
- black pepper1 tbsp
- neutral oil2 tbsp
- tomatillos6 med
- serrano chiles3 med
- Hass avocado1 large
- fresh cilantro1 bunch
- pinto beans and broth2 cup
- lard6 tbsp
- corn tortillas24 med
- kosher salt3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Sear the carne adobada in hot manteca.
Heat a large carbon-steel skillet over high heat until smoking, add 2 tablespoons of lard, and fry the marinated pork steaks in batches to char on the carbon-steel skillet and get real recado color before resting and chopping roughly.
- 02
Blister the carne asada.
Wipe the skirt steak dry to ensure a sear rather than a steam, lay it in a violently hot dry carbon-steel skillet untouched for 3 minutes until a dark crust forms, then flip to finish medium-rare before resting, slicing thin across the grain, and chopping.
- 03
Extract the salsa using the molcajete method.
Blanch the tomatillos and serrano chiles until olive green, then press the salsa through a molcajete rather than blitzing it by grinding the remaining clove of garlic, a quarter cup of minced onion, and salt into a paste, rhythmically mashing in the serranos, tomatillos, and avocado to form a chunky, viscous emulsion before folding in the cilantro and remaining lime juice.
- 04
Fry the frijoles refritos.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of lard over medium-high heat, fry the rest of the minced onion until translucent and browning, then add the beans with their broth and aggressively smash them into a rich, velvety puree that pulls away from the pan.
- 05
Double-warm the tortillas.
Double-warming the tortilla with steam and char is essential; lightly flick water onto both sides of each tortilla, drop onto a blazing hot comal for 20 seconds per side until distinct brown char spots form, and wrap immediately in a towel to maintain pliability.
- 06
Assemble the taqueria counter.
Lay out the chopped meats, bubbling beans, vibrant salsa, and steaming tortillas, allowing everyone to build a plate that tastes exactly like the genuine article.
Notes
Respect the fat.
The importance of lard (manteca) for refried beans and carnitas cannot be overstated; do not substitute canola or vegetable oil, as they fundamentally lack the thermodynamic and flavor properties required.
Texture matters for the salsa.
Pressing the salsa through a molcajete rather than blitzing it shears the cellular walls and releases essential oils that a blender's sharp blades merely slice through.
For taco construction.
Use the carne asada recipe on this page, sliced thin across the grain, then chopped into taqueria-style cubes when following the individual taco assembly guides in Chapter 3.