The Border Table · Source Edition
Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña
Thin flank or skirt steak seasoned with orange juice, salt and pepper on a lightly oiled flat top.
A steak-only 2021 source card; it does not list the full accompaniments of a restaurant plate.
Cook it
A steak-only 2021 source card; it does not list the full accompaniments of a restaurant plate.
- Prepare the strips. Cut the steak into pieces about 12 inches long and 3½ inches wide, a little thicker than ¼ inch, as the original card directs. Keep the portions as even as practical so they cook at a similar pace.
- Season. Season both sides with the 50/50 salt-and-pepper mixture and the orange juice. The old method offers lime juice as an alternative to orange.
- Sear. Lightly oil a flat top and heat it over medium heat. Cook the thin pieces for roughly 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning once; continue as needed until the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C). Rest at least 3 minutes before serving.
- Serve. Serve the steak while hot. Any rice, beans, enchilada or garnish plate components are separate choices; none is specified in this steak-only archive card.
Serve it
Serve on a warm plate or beside whatever sides you have chosen separately. Do not mistake the bare steak image for a finished traditional combination plate.
Understand it
What makes this version work
Because the card asks for steak only slightly thicker than a quarter inch, the quoted one-to-two-minute timing is a starting point, not a reliable safety endpoint. A flat top produces broad contact and fast browning. The orange juice gives a lightly sweet citrus note; lime is an explicitly recorded alternative. The ‘¾ ounce 50/50 salt and pepper’ measure is unusual but retained rather than silently replacing it with teaspoons.
Know it
The recorded recipe and its place at the table
Tamaulipas’s state government names carne asada a la tampiqueña among the region’s emblematic dishes. That supports the place-name association, but it does not validate this archive card as a complete canonical restaurant plate or establish an inventor. The owner’s 2021 version records only thin seasoned steak and a flat-top method. The page therefore presents that component honestly instead of inventing side dishes.
Sources and method
About this version
The ingredient proportions and core method come from the owner’s 2021 Authentic Tex-Mex Recipes card. The Border Table has clarified the instructions for readers without claiming an undocumented inventor or origin for the exact formula. The external source gives broader culinary context; it does not authenticate the owner’s private recipe.
- Government of Tamaulipas, Gastronomía.
- FoodSafety.gov, Four Steps to Food Safety — refrigeration and safe handling guidance where relevant.
See our corrections policy to suggest an update.
