Editor's note: Chef Roberto Santibañez, the chef/owner of Fonda in Brooklyn, New York shared this recipe as part of a festive taco party menu he created for Epicurious. To make tacos, you'll also need 24 to 32 warm corn tortillas, 2 cups of salsa, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. Santibañez recommends serving the tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa , Roasted Pineapple Salsa , or Taco-Shop Guacamole, a blend of avocado and tomatillos.

This heavenly steak is the kind of treat you'd get in tacos at the little stands in Mexican markets, tucked into warm tortillas and topped with spicy salsa. I love the beefy flavor, the chew, and the low price of skirt steak, but you can use any type of steak you'd like. If it's a thick cut, just sear it in a hot pan, then finish it in an oven preheated to 350°F.

Yield: Serves 4
Active Time: 30 minutes (Includes making the adobo)
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours (Includes making the adobo)

For the pasilla-guajillo adobo:
2 ounces pasilla chiles (6), wiped clean, stemmed, slit open, seeded, and deveined
2 ounces guajillo chiles (8), wiped clean, stemmed, slit open, seeded, and deveined
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup light Mexican beer
1/2 cup chopped white onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon fine salt, or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 whole cloves

For the steak:
2 pounds skirt steak, cut into four 8- to 9-inch pieces
1 teaspoon fine salt, or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup pasilla-guajillo adobo (above)
About 1 tablespoon mild olive oil or vegetable oil

Make the adobo:

Heat a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and toast the chiles 2 or 3 at a time, turning them over and pressing down on them with tongs frequently, until the chiles are fragrant, about 1 minute per batch. Soak the chiles in enough cold water to cover until they're soft, about 30 minutes. Drain and discard the soaking water.

Put the vinegar and beer in the blender jar with the chiles and the remaining adobo ingredients. Blend until smooth, at least 3 minutes, adding a little water if necessary to puree. If you like a silky, smooth texture, strain the adobo through a medium-mesh sieve. Set aside 1/2 cup of the adobo to marinate the steak, and keep the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to one month.

Make the steak:

Pat the steaks dry, season them with the salt, then coat them generously with adobo. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan and cook the steaks, 3 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, depending on their thickness. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing for tacos or serving as whole steaks.

Source Information
Adapted with permission from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez with JJ Goode, (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.