← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 4 tlayudas (very large, thin corn tortillas) or the largest corn tortillas you can find
• 4 tbsp lard (ideally asiento, the dark unrefined kind)
• 400 g refried black beans, warmed and loosened with a splash of water
• 300 g Oaxaca cheese, pulled into thin strings
• 400 g thin beef steak (tasajo, skirt or flank) or cecina, sliced very thin
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ Cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 Tomato, sliced
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• Salt
• 120 ml red salsa (such as salsa roja asada), to serve

Method

1. Season the beef with salt and the lime juice. Get a grill or heavy griddle very hot and sear the slices for 1–2 min per side, until browned at the edges. Rest, then cut into strips.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Lay a tortilla on the grill or a dry comal and warm it for about 30 seconds per side so it softens slightly.
3. Brush the top with about 1 tbsp of lard, then spread a quarter of the beans thinly to the edges. Scatter over a quarter of the cheese.
4. Either fold it in half and toast for 3–4 min per side, pressing gently, until crisp and the cheese melts, or leave it open on the grill until the base is crackly and blistered.
5. Open the tlayuda (or slide the open one onto a board) and add beef, cabbage, tomato and avocado. Repeat with the rest and serve with salsa to spoon over.

Tips

• Over a charcoal grill tlayudas pick up a smoky char that a pan can’t match; keep them moving so the edges don’t burn.
• A large flour tortilla works in a pinch but won’t be gluten-free, and the texture is softer.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rick Bayless Authentic Food Quest