Cecina Tacos

Step 1

Place the beef on a cutting board and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes so it becomes partially frozen and easier to slice very thin.

Step 2

Remove the beef from the freezer and slice it as thin as possible—nearly transparent slices—cutting against the grain, which means across the lines running through the meat.

Step 3

Slice the onion lengthwise from root to tip into thin crescents about 1/8-inch thick, then cut them in half so the pieces are shorter.

Step 4

Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.

Step 5

Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until the surface is very hot, about 2 minutes—you should feel significant heat when you hold your hand 3 inches above it.

Step 6

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet, then immediately add half of the sliced beef in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for 45 seconds so it browns.

Step 7

Stir the beef constantly for 60 seconds until it is completely cooked through and the edges are deeply browned, almost charred in spots.

Step 8

Transfer the cooked beef to a clean plate, then repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.

Step 9

Return all cooked beef to the skillet, then add the onion, minced garlic, oregano, and salt, stirring constantly for 30 seconds until the onions soften and everything smells fragrant.

Step 10

Place each tortilla directly over a medium flame on your stovetop or in a dry skillet for 5 seconds per side until warm and pliable, then stack on a plate.

Step 11

Divide the beef mixture evenly among the warm tortillas, placing it in a line down the center of each one.

Step 12

Cut the lime into 2 wedges and place one wedge on each plate, then serve the tacos immediately so they are still warm.