15-Minute "Tasajo-Style" Flank Steak with Blistered Tomatillo Salsa
Let's be real. Proper Oaxacan tasajo needs time, salt, and the dry mountain air of my abuela's patio. You know what I have? A cramped Brooklyn kitchen and 15 minutes before someone starts asking for a snack. But listen to me: we are not suffering for dinner, mi gente.
This 15-Minute "Tasajo-Style" Flank Steak was born from pure Tuesday night desperation. I remember lugging groceries up three flights of stairs, dreaming of the smoky, salty beef I grew up eating, but needing it now. So, we cheat a little. We take thinly sliced flank steak, hit it with a heavy hand of salt, and sear it in a screaming-hot skillet.
But the real magic? The pan salsa. Right before the steak goes in, you blister tomatillos, garlic, and serranos in that same dry comal or pan (Bodega Mode: jalapeños work fine!). Blitz it up, and you've got a bright, smoky salsa that cuts right through the rich beef.
How to make it yours: If you want less heat, scrape the seeds out of the chile before blending. Serve it with warm corn tortillas and a thick slice of avocado. The creamy avocado against the crunchy char of the beef? Perfection. Taste your salsa, adjust the salt—then decide if you even want to share. Ándale, dinner is served!
Featured Recipe
15-Minute "Tasajo-Style" Flank Steak with Blistered Tomatillo Salsa
A Brooklyn-fast take on Oaxacan tasajo. We quick-blister tomatillos and aromatics in a dry skillet, blitz them into a smoky pan salsa, and sear thinly sliced flank steak in the same screaming-hot pan. Creamy avocado and warm tortillas turn this into a Tuesday night triumph. We are not suffering for dinner, mi gente.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs flank steak(Sliced very thinly against the grain (pop it in the freezer for 10 mins first if you have time))
- 6 medium tomatillos(Husked and rinsed (they should feel sticky before washing))
- 1/2 large white onion(Cut into thick wedges, keep the root intact so they don't fall apart in the pan)
- 2 whole garlic cloves(Keep the skins on for the blistering phase)
- 1 whole dried pasilla chile(Stemmed and seeded. Pantry Mode: Swap for 1 canned chipotle in adobo)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil(Avocado, canola, or vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice(About half a juicy lime)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro(Roughly chopped, stems absolutely included)
- 1 tsp kosher salt(Divided use, plus more to taste)
- 1 whole ripe avocado(Sliced for serving)
- 8 whole warm corn tortillas(For serving (Bodega Mode: whatever you have, just heat them properly on a comal or skillet))
Instructions
- 1
Prep your station while the kids are occupied. Slice 1.5 lbs flank steak against the grain as thin as you possibly can. Toss the steak in a bowl with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and set aside. Husk and rinse 6 medium tomatillos.
5 min
Tip: Mom math: Do this before anyone asks for a snack. If the steak is too squishy to cut thin, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
- 2
Get a large cast-iron or heavy skillet screaming hot over medium-high heat. Do not add oil. Drop in the 6 medium tomatillos, the wedges of 1/2 large white onion, and 2 whole garlic cloves (skins still on). Let them dry-blister and blacken in spots, turning occasionally, until the tomatillos soften and collapse a bit.
8 min
Tip: We want actual black char spots here—that's where the Oaxacan soul comes from. Open a window if your smoke alarm is dramatic.
- 3
Push the veggies to the edge of the pan and drop in 1 dried pasilla chile. Press it flat with a spatula for 15 to 30 seconds per side just until it smells toasty and puffs up. Do not let it burn or it will turn bitter! Remove the pan from heat for a second.
1 min
Tip: If you're using the Pantry Mode chipotle in adobo instead, skip this step and just add the chipotle straight to the blender later.
- 4
Peel the skins off the garlic. Throw the blistered tomatillos, onion, peeled garlic, and toasted pasilla into a blender. Add 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Pulse until it forms a chunky, gorgeous salsa. Don't puree it to water; we want texture.
2 min
Tip: If the blender struggles, add a tiny splash of water, but the tomatillos should have plenty of juice.
- 5
Wipe out that same skillet with a paper towel (careful, it's hot). Put it back on high heat and add 1 tbsp neutral oil. Once it shimmers, add the salted flank steak in a single layer. Let it sear hard without touching it for 2 minutes, then toss and sear for 1 more minute until browned but still tender.
4 min
Tip: Don't crowd the pan! If your pan is small, do this in two batches. Flank steak cooks incredibly fast.
- 6
Pour the blender salsa directly over the seared steak in the skillet. Toss everything together and let it bubble furiously for 1 to 2 minutes just so the meat absorbs that smoky flavor. Remove from heat. Top the skillet with slices of 1 ripe avocado and serve immediately with 8 warm corn tortillas.
3 min
Tip: Taste it—then decide. Does it need a tiny pinch more salt? A squeeze of lime? Trust your palate. The rich avocado balances the acidic salsa perfectly.
Chef's Notes
Real flavor, real life: Traditional Oaxacan tasajo is lightly cured and dried, which gives it a specific chew and intensity. We are skipping the cure entirely for this weeknight version, leaning on a hard sear and a deeply flavorful blistered salsa to bridge the gap. If you have leftover steak and salsa, chop it up smaller the next morning and scramble it with eggs. It is out of this world.
María “Mari” Santiago
Oaxacan comfort, Brooklyn shortcuts, weeknight bright.
María “Mari” Santiago was born in Oaxaca, where her earliest kitchen memories are measured in scent: chiles toasting on a comal, cinnamon and chocolate blooming in mole, and the warm, nutty snap of a tlayuda folded in half for the walk home. She learned by watching—first her tías, then her abuela—picking up the small, practical rules that never made it into written recipes: how to tell when the garlic is *just* right, how to rescue a too-spicy salsa, and why you always taste the broth before you add the salt. Now in Brooklyn, Mari cooks the food she grew up on while raising two little kids and juggling real-life time limits. Her style is “real flavor, real life”: traditional Oaxacan and everyday Mexican dishes—moles, caldos, frijoles, enfrijoladas, salsas, and crispy tlayudas—made weeknight-friendly with smart shortcuts, brighter salsas, and more vegetables without losing the soul of the dish. She’s not precious about rules, she’s big on swaps, and she’s on a mission to prove that you can cook deeply flavorful Mexican food with what you can actually find at a normal grocery store (and still get dinner on the table before a meltdown). Mari’s recipes read like a friend texting you from the produce aisle: clear, funny, and unpretentious, with a side of abuela wisdom. If there’s a hard-to-find ingredient, she gives you a realistic alternative, tells you what will change (and what won’t), and keeps the focus where it belongs—on food that tastes like home, even when home is a small Brooklyn kitchen.