Cuts

Regional Meat Cuts

Tasajo Scoring Technique (Oaxacan Butterfly Slice)

Also: tasajo, carne tasajeada, Oaxacan dried beef

Continuous accordion-butterfly cuts through a whole beef muscle that unfurl it into a single thin sheet for salt-curing and charcoal grilling.

Tasajo is the iconic cured-beef preparation of Oaxaca in which a whole muscle — typically from the hindquarter — is butterflied open via a series of parallel, almost-through cuts that fold out like an accordion or spiral, producing one continuous paper-thin slab. That slab is rubbed with salt, hung in the open air to half-dry, then grilled over hardwood embers at high heat.

In photos

Tasajo Scoring Technique (Oaxacan Butterfly Slice) in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — Tasajo is the iconic cured-beef preparation of Oaxaca in which a whole muscle — typically from the hindquarter — is butterflied open via a series of parallel, almost-through cuts that fold out like a… Identifying traits: Single unbroken sheet of beef, accordion-folded out of the whole muscle, Half-dried surface that chars instantly on a hot comal or grill, Concentrated beefy salinity from the dry-curing step.
Tasajo Scoring Technique (Oaxacan Butterfly Slice) in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — Tasajo is the iconic cured-beef preparation of Oaxaca in which a whole muscle — typically from the hindquarter — is butterflied open via a series of parallel, almost-through cuts that fold out like a… Identifying traits: Single unbroken sheet of beef, accordion-folded out of the whole muscle, Half-dried surface that chars instantly on a hot comal or grill, Concentrated beefy salinity from the dry-curing step.
Where the tasajo scoring technique (oaxacan butterfly slice) lives on the source. Most commonly cut from the round (back leg), specifically the topside or silverside.
Where the tasajo scoring technique (oaxacan butterfly slice) lives on the source. Most commonly cut from the round (back leg), specifically the topside or silverside.
Tasajo Scoring Technique (Oaxacan Butterfly Slice) prepared the canonical way — Tlayuda oaxaqueña. Start at one edge of the muscle and make a horizontal cut almost — but not all the way — through, parallel to the board, then fold the meat open.
Tasajo Scoring Technique (Oaxacan Butterfly Slice) prepared the canonical way — Tlayuda oaxaqueña. Start at one edge of the muscle and make a horizontal cut almost — but not all the way — through, parallel to the board, then fold the meat open.

Where it comes from

Most commonly cut from the round (back leg), specifically the topside or silverside. Some butchers use the sirloin flap. The entire muscle is unrolled rather than sliced into individual steaks, so the finished sheet can reach 60–90 cm in length.

Single unbroken sheet of beef, accordion-folded out of the whole muscleHalf-dried surface that chars instantly on a hot comal or grillConcentrated beefy salinity from the dry-curing stepIrregular thickness variation creates contrasting textures across the same pieceDeep smoke and Maillard crust from direct hardwood-charcoal contact

Best for

Grilling over hardwood charcoal (parrilla)Comal searing for tacos and tlayudasServed with Oaxacan black beans, asiento, and fresh tortillasChopped filling for memelas or tostadas

How to cook it

  1. 1Start at one edge of the muscle and make a horizontal cut almost — but not all the way — through, parallel to the board, then fold the meat open.
  2. 2Repeat the cut in the opposite direction from the newly exposed edge, again stopping just short of the far side; continue until the muscle is fully unrolled into a flat sheet.
  3. 3Rub both sides liberally with coarse sea salt (roughly 2% of the meat's weight) and any regional spice additions (some butchers add a touch of chile paste).
  4. 4Hang or lay flat on a wire rack in a shaded, breezy spot for 4–8 hours until the surface feels dry but the interior still has give — it should not be fully jerky-like.
  5. 5Grill directly over very hot hardwood coals, 2–3 minutes per side, until charred in spots and just cooked through.
  6. 6Rest 2 minutes, then slice across the grain into strips for tacos or tear into irregular pieces for a tlayuda.

Prep & butchery

  • Use a boning knife or long thin-bladed slicing knife for the accordion cuts; a stiff blade makes the parallel passes uneven.
  • Keep the muscle cold but not frozen so it holds shape during unrolling.
  • Score any thick connective tissue on the exterior before salting so the cure penetrates evenly.
  • After half-drying, pound gently with a mallet if the slab is uneven in thickness before grilling.

Substitutes

  • Cecina (Mexican cured beef)

    Similar thin-slice curing cut from leg; slightly thicker, diagonal slice rather than butterfly

  • Carne seca (Sonoran dried beef)

    Fully dried rather than half-dried; more crumble, less grill char

  • Flank steak (arrachera)

    Different muscle and cut direction; skip the curing step and marinate instead

Related cuts

Appears in

Tlayuda oaxaqueñaTacos de tasajoMemela con tasajoOaxacan botana platter (tasajo, chorizo negro, cecina)

References

  1. 1.Truly Mexican — Roberto Santibañez (Wiley, 2011)
  2. 2.Mexico: The Cookbook — Margarita Carrillo Arronte (Phaidon, 2014)
  3. 3.Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico — Bricia Lopez & Javier Cabral (Abrams, 2019)

Confidence: high

Notes

The Accordion Logic

The butterfly technique's genius is efficiency: one large round muscle yields a single dramatic sheet that cooks in under five minutes on a hot grill rather than requiring hours of slow braising. The thin cross-section maximizes surface area for salt penetration during curing and char development during grilling, compensating for the leanness of the round with texture contrast rather than fat.

Regional Variation

In the Central Valleys around Etla and Tlacolula, tasajo is typically sold half-dried at the market and grilled to order. Some producers in the Sierra Norte fully dry the meat for longer preservation, producing a crumblier product closer to northern carne seca. The cut itself — and the accordion unrolling — is consistent across all Oaxacan styles.