Alambre Quesadilla Recipe

Prepare steak

Trim excess fat from the steak and slice thinly against the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Place sliced steak in a bowl.

Make marinade

Add 2 tbs oil, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs lime juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper to the steak. Toss to coat and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours).

Cook bacon

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in the pan.

Sear steak & vegetables

Increase heat to medium-high. Add marinated steak to the skillet with bacon fat (add 1 tbs oil if pan is dry). Sear, stirring occasionally, until browned but still juicy, about 3–5 minutes. Remove steak to a bowl. In the same skillet add sliced onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Sauté until softened and slightly caramelized, about 6–8 minutes. Return steak and cooked bacon to the skillet, squeeze 1 lime over the mixture and stir in chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Keep mixture warm while assembling quesadillas.

Assemble quesadillas

Heat a clean large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly butter or oil one side of a tortilla. Place the tortilla butter-side-down on the skillet. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup shredded cheese over half the tortilla, top with 1/6 of the alambre filling (about 3–4 tbs) spread evenly over the cheese, then add another 2–3 tbs cheese on top of the filling to help the two tortilla halves stick. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to form a half-moon.

Cook quesadillas

Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, about 2–3 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook the other side until golden and cheese is melted, another 1.5–2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute before slicing into 3 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed and keeping finished quesadillas warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C).

Plate quesadillas, garnish with extra chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with sour cream or crema, salsa, and pickled jalapeños on the side. Squeeze additional lime over the quesadilla just before eating if desired.