Huaraches de Bistec

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or heavy 12-inch skillet
• •Tortilla press (or a heavy flat-bottomed skillet)
• •Two sheets of plastic cut from a ziplock bag
• •Wide spatula
• •Cutting board with a heavy knife for chopping the bistec

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the bistec

   Lay the steak flat on a cutting board and pound it lightly with the side of a heavy knife until the slices are about a quarter inch thick. Toss with the garlic, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes while you work the masa. Bistec is street meat. It does not need a marinade for hours. Twenty minutes is enough to season it through.

2. 2

   Mix the masa

   In a wide bowl, combine the masa harina and the half teaspoon of salt. Add the warm water in a steady stream while you work the masa with your hand. Knead for two or three minutes until you have a smooth, pliable dough that feels like soft modeling clay. Press a piece between your fingers. If the edges crack, the masa is too dry: add water a tablespoon at a time. If it sticks to your hand like glue, it is too wet: add a spoonful of masa harina. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 minutes. The masa hydrates fully while it sits.

   Use masa harina labeled nixtamalizada. The corn was treated with cal before grinding, which is what gives a real huarache its flavor and aroma. Untreated corn flour will not work, no matter what the package promises.
3. 3

   Shape the huaraches

   Divide the masa into six equal balls, about three ounces each. Working one at a time, roll a ball into a thick cylinder between your palms. Place it between two sheets of plastic (a cut-open ziplock bag works) and press it flat with a tortilla press or the bottom of a heavy skillet. You want an oblong shape about seven inches long, four inches wide, and a generous quarter inch thick. The name huarache comes from the leather sandal. The shape should look like the sole of a sandal. Thicker than a tortilla, thinner than a sope.

   Some cooks at the puestos in Mexico City press a thin line of refried beans inside the masa before sealing and shaping. That is the old-school version from the 1930s puestos in La Merced. If you want to do it that way, divide the ball, press both halves flat, spread a thin layer of beans on one, top with the other, and press to seal the edges. Then shape into the oblong sole.
4. 4

   Cook the masa on the comal

   Heat a dry comal or heavy cast iron skillet over medium for at least five minutes. The surface should be hot enough that a drop of water dances and disappears. Lay a huarache on the comal and cook for three minutes on the first side, until the bottom is dry and lightly speckled with brown spots. Flip and cook for another three minutes. The masa should look matte, not raw, and feel firm to the touch. Set aside on a clean cloth and repeat with the remaining masa. Do not stack them while hot. The steam softens the bottoms and ruins the texture.

5. 5

   Grill the bistec

   Heat the lard on a wide skillet or the same comal over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the bistec down in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook for about 90 seconds per side, until the edges crisp and the meat is just cooked through. Move to a cutting board, let it rest for one minute, then chop it into rough half-inch pieces. The bistec on a huarache is chopped, not sliced. That is how it is served at the puestos.

6. 6

   Crisp the huarache in lard

   Wipe out the comal and add a tablespoon of lard. When it is shimmering, lay a huarache down and press it gently with a spatula. Cook for about a minute, until the bottom turns golden and crisp at the edges. Flip and crisp the second side the same way. La manteca es el sabor. A huarache cooked dry tastes like cardboard. A huarache crisped in manteca tastes like the streetcorner outside the Metro Hidalgo at eleven at night. That is the difference.

7. 7

   Build the huarache

   Move the crisped huarache to a plate. Working fast while it is still hot, spread two to three tablespoons of warm frijoles refritos across the surface, edge to edge. Pile a generous portion of chopped bistec on top. Spoon over the salsa verde (and a stripe of salsa roja if you want both heat and color). Scatter the diced onion and cilantro across the top. Drizzle with crema mexicana. Finish with a generous handful of crumbled queso fresco. Serve immediately with lime wedges. A huarache eaten cold is a wasted huarache. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •If you can find fresh masa from a tortilleria, use it. Fresh masa makes a huarache that tastes the way it should, with the perfume of nixtamal that masa harina only hints at. Ask for masa para huaraches o sopes, it is stiffer than tortilla masa.
• •The frijoles must be loose and warm. Cold refritos seize up and tear the masa. Thin them with a spoonful of bean broth or water and warm them through before you build.
• •Do not skip the lard at the end. A huarache cooked only on a dry comal will be tough. The lard is what gives it the crisp bottom and the chewy interior, the texture that separates a real huarache from a sad masa cracker.
• •Build one huarache at a time and eat it before you start the next. They are not meant to wait. The masa softens under the toppings within minutes and the magic is in the first three bites.

Advance Preparation

• •The masa can be mixed up to four hours ahead and held covered with a damp cloth at room temperature. Past that, it dries out and the huaraches crack.
• •The frijoles refritos and the salsas can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat the beans loose with a splash of water before spreading.
• •The bistec is best cooked to order. Pre-cooked bistec turns gray and tough. Season the meat ahead, but keep the cooking for the moment of serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 335g)