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Asado de Aguja Norteña

Beef · Aguja norteña

Aguja norteña — the blade from the northern Mexican frontier — is the classic parrilla cut of the north, where cattle ranching defines the cuisine. Simply seasoned and grilled over mesquite.

Serves 4 peoplePrep 10 minCook 30 min

What you'll need

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Ingredients & method

Ingredients

  • 1 kg aguja norteña (chuck blade steak), cut into 2 cm steaks
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Lime wedges, guacamole, flour tortillas, and salsa to serve

Method

  1. 1Light a mesquite charcoal fire and let it burn down to glowing embers with no flames.
  2. 2Season the aguja steaks generously with salt and pepper.
  3. 3Grill over medium-high heat, about 5–7 minutes per side — aguja has connective tissue that benefits from slightly longer cooking than a premium steak.
  4. 4Test for doneness at the thickest part. Aguja norteña is best at medium, around 60–63 °C internal.
  5. 5Rest 5 minutes and serve with flour tortillas, guacamole, and lime. The border way is to eat straight from the grill with no ceremony.

Chef's tip
Aguja norteña is a working cut with some connective tissue — do not cook it to rare as the tissue will not have softened. Medium is the sweet spot.

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