Steak Tortillas — Twelve Years of Chile Colorado and the First Words of the Cookbook

The bakery's twelfth anniversary. March 15, 2028. Twelve years. The number exceeds a decade and enters the territory of permanence — a twelve-year-old bakery is not a startup, not an experiment, not a gamble. It is an institution. The institution that Rosa built from a kitchen in Anapra, that I built from a small business loan, that Sofia built from a clipboard and a spreadsheet, and that now stands on both sides of the bridge as proof that bread is the strongest building material in the world.

Camila's quinceañera is this month — March 29, 2028 — and it is not a party. It is a concert. At the Abraham Chavez Theatre. Three hundred people. A full band (hired by Sofia, who negotiated the rate). A set list of thirty songs. A dress that is gold (not pink, not purple, not white — gold, the performance color, the Camila color). The quinceañera-as-concert is the most Camila event in the history of events, and the event will be the moment when Camila stops being a girl who sings and becomes a young woman who performs, and the becoming is the quinceañera, and the quinceañera is the concert, and the concert is Camila's declaration to the world: I am here. I have a voice. And the voice is for you.

I made chile colorado for the anniversary dinner. Year twelve. And I started something new: the cookbook. I sat at the kitchen table after the anniversary dinner and I opened a blank document on Sofia's laptop and I typed the first words of the cookbook that will contain Rosa's recipes and my recipes and the story of a bakery that started in Anapra and crossed a bridge and became two bakeries and a notebook and now a book. The first words I typed: "My mother's hands." Three words. The beginning. The beginning of the book that will be the ending of the notebook and the beginning of the next chapter, the chapter where Rosa's recipes leave the kitchen and enter the world, and the world will hold them, and the holding is the book, and the book is the beginning.

Chile colorado has always been my anniversary recipe — twelve years running now — but what I really wanted that night was something I could set on the table and let everyone build with their own hands. Steak tortillas felt right: the seared meat, the warm tortillas, the act of assembling something together the way we’ve assembled this bakery piece by piece. After I typed those first three words of the cookbook, I came back to the kitchen and thought, this is the recipe that belongs at the beginning of things.

Steak Tortillas

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
• 12 flour tortillas (8-inch), warmed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 avocado, sliced

Instructions

1. Marinate the steak. In a shallow dish, combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add flank steak and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Grill or sear the steak. Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Cook the steak for 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the vegetables. While the steak rests, add onion rings and bell pepper strips to the same skillet or grill. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred and tender.
4. Slice the steak. Cut the flank steak against the grain into thin strips.
5. Assemble the tortillas. Place steak strips and grilled vegetables onto warmed tortillas. Top with salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cheese, and avocado slices. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 680mg