Mesquite-Grilled Tacos Rasurados
By Bryan RoofPublished on July 2, 2024
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Aguamole
⅔ cup water, divided½ avocado 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus extra as needed1 small garlic clove, minced¾ teaspoon table saltSalsa Tatemada and Garnish
12 spring onions 7 jalapeño chiles 3 plum tomatoes ½ small onion, halved through root end into 2 wedges¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems1½ teaspoons lime juice, plus extra for seasoning, plus lime wedges for serving½ teaspoon table salt 1 cup finely chopped cabbageRibs
1 (3½- to 4-pound) rack beef back ribs (about 7 bones)3 tablespoons coarse sea salt, divided12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmedBefore You Begin
You will need a charcoal grill, a squeeze bottle filled with water, and mesquite hardwood charcoal for this recipe. Mesquite adds a unique flavor to the ribs, typical of Tucson taquerias, and a squeeze bottle is important for extinguishing flare-ups, which are common when grilling fatty meats such as beef back ribs. If at any time the flare-ups get difficult to manage, pull the ribs off the grill and let the fire die down before proceeding. If you can't find spring onions, you can substitute scallions; they will cook more quickly.
Instructions
- Process ⅓ cup water, avocado, lime juice, garlic, and table salt in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds, adding remaining ⅓ cup water as needed to achieve pancake batter–like consistency. Season with table salt to taste; set aside for serving.
- Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. Light large chimney starter filled with mesquite hardwood charcoal (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.
- Place spring onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, and onion wedges on hotter side of grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 10 to 15 minutes, transferring items to platter as they finish cooking; set aside. (Spring onions will likely be done first, followed by jalapeños, then onion and tomatoes.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place ribs on hotter side of grill, bone side down. Sprinkle meaty side of ribs with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt. Cook until well browned on first side, about 6 minutes, extinguishing any flare-ups with small squirts of water from squeeze bottle. Flip ribs and sprinkle bone side with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt. Continue to cook until well-browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer.
- Transfer ribs to carving board. Cut rack between bones to separate ribs. Nestling 2 or 3 ribs together (bones oriented same way), return ribs to hotter side of grill, cut sides down. Sprinkle ribs with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt and cook until well browned on cut sides, about 5 minutes.
- Flip ribs so second cut sides are down, sprinkle with remaining 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt, and cook until well browned on second side, about 5 minutes. Transfer ribs to rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven while finishing salsa.
- To finish salsa, core tomatoes, remove root ends from onion wedges, and stem 1 jalapeño. Process tomatoes, onion wedges, stemmed jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and table salt in blender on low speed until coarsely chopped, about 7 seconds. Transfer to serving bowl; season with table salt and lime juice to taste.
- Hold individual ribs vertically on carving board and, using chef's knife or boning knife, shave meat from ribs. Using chef's knife, chop meat into small bite-size pieces. (For crispier meat, cook chopped meat in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until fat is rendered and meat is crisp all over, 3 to 5 minutes.)
- Fill tortillas with meat, cabbage, salsa, and aguamole. Serve with spring onions, remaining 6 jalapeños, and lime wedges.
for the aguamole
for the salsa tatemada and garnish
for the ribs
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Aguamole
Salsa Tatemada and Garnish
Ribs
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Aguamole
Salsa Tatemada and Garnish
Ribs
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Aguamole
Salsa Tatemada and Garnish
Ribs
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
These hearty beef tacos—loaded with the heady mesquite smoke flavor that gives Tucson-style barbecue its distinctive character—are inspired by the tacos rasurados served at Tacos Apson in South Tucson, Arizona. We grilled rich, fatty beef ribs over a hot fire, twice: First, we grilled the whole rack of ribs to cook the meat and create a flavorful browned exterior, and then we separated the rack into individual ribs and finished them on the grill with a generous sprinkle of coarse salt to create a deeply savory crust and maximize the mesquite-grilled flavor. Finally, we made a pair of fresh sauces to top the beef—bright, creamy aguamole (made by blending avocado with lime juice, water, garlic, and salt) and salsa tatemada (made from grilled onion, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice)—and served everything with grilled spring onions and fresh flour tortillas to form these memorable tacos rasurados.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You will need a charcoal grill, a squeeze bottle filled with water, and mesquite hardwood charcoal for this recipe. Mesquite adds a unique flavor to the ribs, typical of Tucson taquerias, and a squeeze bottle is important for extinguishing flare-ups, which are common when grilling fatty meats such as beef back ribs. If at any time the flare-ups get difficult to manage, pull the ribs off the grill and let the fire die down before proceeding. If you can't find spring onions, you can substitute scallions; they will cook more quickly.
Instructions
- Process ⅓ cup water, avocado, lime juice, garlic, and table salt in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds, adding remaining ⅓ cup water as needed to achieve pancake batter–like consistency. Season with table salt to taste; set aside for serving.
- Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. Light large chimney starter filled with mesquite hardwood charcoal (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. Clean and oil cooking grate.
- Place spring onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, and onion wedges on hotter side of grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 10 to 15 minutes, transferring items to platter as they finish cooking; set aside. (Spring onions will likely be done first, followed by jalapeños, then onion and tomatoes.)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place ribs on hotter side of grill, bone side down. Sprinkle meaty side of ribs with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt. Cook until well browned on first side, about 6 minutes, extinguishing any flare-ups with small squirts of water from squeeze bottle. Flip ribs and sprinkle bone side with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt. Continue to cook until well-browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer.
- Transfer ribs to carving board. Cut rack between bones to separate ribs. Nestling 2 or 3 ribs together (bones oriented same way), return ribs to hotter side of grill, cut sides down. Sprinkle ribs with 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt and cook until well browned on cut sides, about 5 minutes.
- Flip ribs so second cut sides are down, sprinkle with remaining 2¼ teaspoons coarse salt, and cook until well browned on second side, about 5 minutes. Transfer ribs to rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven while finishing salsa.
- To finish salsa, core tomatoes, remove root ends from onion wedges, and stem 1 jalapeño. Process tomatoes, onion wedges, stemmed jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and table salt in blender on low speed until coarsely chopped, about 7 seconds. Transfer to serving bowl; season with table salt and lime juice to taste.
- Hold individual ribs vertically on carving board and, using chef's knife or boning knife, shave meat from ribs. Using chef's knife, chop meat into small bite-size pieces. (For crispier meat, cook chopped meat in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until fat is rendered and meat is crisp all over, 3 to 5 minutes.)
- Fill tortillas with meat, cabbage, salsa, and aguamole. Serve with spring onions, remaining 6 jalapeños, and lime wedges.
for the aguamole
for the salsa tatemada and garnish
for the ribs
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