Northeastern Mexico is the land of “beef”. Barbecues are a weekend ritual in many homes, geared towards spending time with family and friends. Mexican carnes asadas - as barbecues are known - are long, drawn-out affairs that start early in the afternoon and end well after midnight. Why do they last so long? And what could keep people entertained for 8 hours around the table?
Well, it is all part of the ritual: first of all, a carne asada is almost exclusively led by men. I’m not sure why, but men rule when it comes to Mexican barbecue. It will start with the guys lighting the charcoal, and taking care of it until it becomes white coals. During this time, the snacks will come out - guacamole, salsas, nopalitos (cactus paddles), fruits and vegetables spiked with chile and lime are the usual things, along with beer and tequila.
Next, come the vegetables prepared on the grill… every family will have their own favorites - in my family’s case, there is always broccoli, stuffed chiles güeros with cheese, corn and grilled whole onions. All those appear on the table next.
After that, comes the meat: a mixture of arrachera (skirt steak), chorizos, costillas (ribs) and rib-eye. They all come to the table as soon as they are ready, providing a pleasurable, leisurely afternoon eating. And let’s not forget the tortillas, warmed on the grill and served piping hot, so you can make your own tacos.
After the meat is served, the pit master will cut up some of the steak and start making tostadas piratas. If corn tortillas are left on the grill a bit longer, they get crunchy, making perfect tostadas. Topped with cheese and chunks of meat, they make the perfect serving for the guests that do not want to eat a lot of steak. At the table they are topped with avocado and salsa, and some people like a few drops of lime juice.
With the leftovers, you can make more tostadas piratas for lunch the next day. And you can sit and remember that awesome afternoon you spent with family and friends at the carne asada, and hoping the next one comes very soon.
Tostadas Piratas
Grilled Beef, Cheese and Avocado Tostadas
8 corn tortillas
1 grilled steak, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado, cut into thin slices
Salsa of your choice
Heat tortillas on a griddle over medium low heat. Place a mound of shredded cheese on each tortilla. Once it starts to melt, top with chunks of steak. Continue to cook until cheese is completely melted and tortilla starts to get crunchy.
Serve hot garnished with avocado slices and topped with salsa.
Serves 4.