First things first:  The literal translation of “quesadillas” is “cheese tell”.  However, the slang origin of the word translates to “cheese dude”.  Don’t ask.

A caveat before we get started:  Normally, when using steak for a recipe like this, you should use flank or skirt steak.  However, I only had flat iron steak and I wasn’t interested in going to the store.  It still works.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Flour tortillas (Good ones that are just made with flour, lard, water and a little salt.  Don’t get those fucking disgusting ones that taste like chemicals.)

Shredded Cheese—a ton of it

Chicken or steak

Pickled Jalapeños

Season and tenderize the meat and let it rest for a few minutes while your grill is heating up.

Grill your meat to the desired doneness.  Remove from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat.  If you slice it right away, all that juicy goodness will run off your cutting board and you will be all the poorer for it.

Set a griddle for medium heat.  Lay a flour tortilla on the griddle, cover with shredded cheese all over.  On one half of the tortilla, arrange the slices of meat and the pickled jalapeños.  Don’t take too long doing this, or the tortilla will get stiff.

As soon as the toppings are arranged, fold the tortilla in half and grill on each side for 5-7 minutes.  You want the tortilla to be slightly browned, have a slight crisp to it, and for the cheese to be all melted.

Remove the quesadilla from the griddle to a cutting board.  Slice in half, then arrange on a plate, garnished with chopped lettuce or microgreens, sour cream, good salsa, and served with sides of Spanish rice and pinto beans.

Don’t even begin to pretend that this is actual Mexican food.  This is a highly Americanized version of an Aztec classic.  But, it still tastes very good, so just eat it.