Mexican cuisine from the street comes to the table as carne asada. Skirt steak spends time in a lime and garlic marinade before it's seared on the grill and wrapped in corn tortillas.

Mexico struck me mute. Not just the vivid colors, vivid smiles and vivid flavors.

It was also ignorance. I spoke no Spanish. Over five weeks — back in the single, summer, semi-employed days when weeks came easy — the clatter clumped into words and the words into rapport. I loved every minute of Mexico.

In my rented room, I patted the bed: cama. I stripped down mango for supper: cena. Days, I charted verbs; nights, I studied ramble, guitar, tequila. I was adept at present tense, the verb “to linger” and the vocabulary of street food.

At the taqueria, I watched the masters lime-marinate carne and grill it asada. I studied — over and over — green onions charred brown. I took in smoky, sharp and sweet.

Over long and sunny, I learned climb and vista. Over late and starry, I learned confide and friend. I skipped the last class, the one where we practiced farewell.

Prep: 20 minutes, plus time to marinateCook: 8 minutesMakes: 4 servings½ cup fresh lime juiceCanola or olive oil2 cloves garlic, finely choppedKosher salt¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper1½ pounds skirt steak, trimmed of fat and silverskin1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped½ cup finely chopped white onion2 bunches green onions, trimmed to 5 inches8 small soft corn tortillas1 cup green tomatillo salsa1 lime, quarteredMarinate: Combine lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and cayenne pepper in a shallow baking pan (or zip-close plastic bag). Add the steak. Flip. Cover and chill, 2 to 24 hours.Pat: Pull steak out of marinade. Pat dry. Sprinkle with a little salt. Let rest at room temperature, 30 minutes.Toss: Heap cilantro and white onion in a bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt. Toss.Season: Rub green onions with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.Grill: Grill steak over a medium-hot fire, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Slide onto a platter and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 5-10 minutes.Tattoo: Meanwhile, set green onions on the grates crosswise. Grill, rolling occasionally, until tender and nicely tattooed, about 8 minutes. Grill tortillas until they show light marks, 1-2 minutes per side.Slice: Slice steak along the grain into 3-inch wide sections, then across the grain into thin strips. Douse with any accumulated juices.Build: For each taco, spread a grilled tortilla with a spoonful of tomatillo salsa. Add a heap of steak, a scoop of the cilantro mix, a couple of green onions and a squeeze of lime.