Steak torta (pepito) with seared onions, melted cheese and pickled jalapeños

Scrape a can of beans with their liquid into a food processor, add a little pork lard, and process to a paste; add a little water if thicker than softened butter.

Cut a large white onion into rings a little more than a quarter inch thick and lay them shingled on a baking tray with the flank steak.

Spray or brush oil on everything, salt (more on the meat), flip and repeat, and finish with a little pepper.

Heat a cast-iron griddle as hot as it will get, around 450 to 500 degrees; put the meat on the hotter back and the onions in front.

Cook until crusted and golden brown or a little darker on each side, about four minutes per side, to medium at the thin end and medium rare at the thick.

Transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet so the juices are not lost; rest the steak about 10 minutes.

Slice the flank steak thinly across the grain, on a bias.

Cut the bolillos in half horizontally and pull out a little of the soft center from the bottoms to make a well.

On a baking sheet, spread a couple of tablespoons of beans side to side on each bottom, then layer the steak, the onion rings broken apart, and sliced jack-style cheese.

Heat in a 400 degree oven about four or five minutes to melt the cheese, rewarm the meat and crisp the bread.

Top with pickled jalapenos, put the tops on, cut in half and serve with roasted tomatillo salsa.