Beef cooked over live mesquite fire, the way Sonoran ranch kitchens and Arizona parrillas do it, with a sweet, resinous smoke and a hard char. Sliced to order and eaten with tortillas, salsa and lime.

Visit Arizona counts mesquite-fired grills among the trademarks of Sonoran cooking and says grilling over mesquite wood or charcoal is common for meat, fish and vegetables in restaurants, taquerias, trucks and backyards. The tree is far older as food: Archaeology Southwest records that people ground its pods into flour and that the Tohono O'odham calendar names a month for the mesquite bean harvest. Old Town's Pistoleros Parrilla, founded by brothers drawing on the traditions of Nogales, grills its steaks the same way.

Where to eat Mesquite-grilled steak in Scottsdale

2 editor picks for Mesquite-grilled steak in Scottsdale, ranked by editorial score. All Scottsdale signature dishes · Mesquite-grilled steak across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 41 hr 10 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 ribeye steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick, about 20 ounces each
  • Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
  • Mesquite lump charcoal
  • Flour tortillas, salsa and lime wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Salt the steaks on both sides 45 minutes ahead and leave them at room temperature.
  2. Burn mesquite lump charcoal in a chimney until it is covered in gray ash, then pour it into one half of the grill.
  3. Pat the steaks dry, add pepper, and sear over the coals for 4 to 5 minutes a side until deeply charred.
  4. Move to the cool side, cover, and cook until 125F inside for medium-rare, about 5 more minutes.
  5. Rest 10 minutes, slice against the grain and serve with warm tortillas, salsa and lime.

Editor tip. Let the mesquite burn down to coals before the steaks go on; flaming fresh wood leaves a bitter, sooty flavor.