"Discada" (a brief story)

Discada is a typical north Mexican dish done originally in the disks used in farmer's tractors to work the crops.
From humble origin this dish has raised to the top novelty in get-togethers all over north Mexico either in a camping trip setting or a backyard BBQ. The disk began as a field tilling disc pulled by a tractor. After being unbolted from the tilling mechanism, the three or more holes in the disc must be welded shut. Sometimes a rim is welded along the top edge and often legs of varying length are attached to the bottom. The size of discos seem to vary, with contours ranging from extremely shallow to almost conical. What makes it so different from a traditional Asian wok is the thickness of the steel. While the wok's relatively thin metal means food cooks fast and must be stirred often to avoid scorching, the heavy gauge metal of the disco allows the center--where the real sizzling happens--to remain piping hot, with a gradual decrease in temperature as food is placed nearer to the rim. This allows food away from the center to stay warm while not getting overcooked or burned.

This meat dish close in resemblance to a Hungarian goulash is done with any type of meat available + fried onions, tomatoes and, of course, chiles; and served as a filling for a soft tortilla wrap.
There are many variations to the recipe since you make it with whatever is on hand. The disk also has many other used like a skillet to warm up other foods like tortillas. Discadas are typically cooked in outdoor open fires due to the fact that the disk is huge (bigger than a large wok) and it wouldn't fit in a stove top and second the heat needs to be well distributed. The popularity of this dish has brought it to the city where to prevent fires accidents when doing this in your back yard nowadays special heat regulators and camping stovetops have been designed to fit the disk and enjoy Mexican rural cooking style right in your back yard.

CREDIT TO (see for more info) :

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/articles/5553

http://rollybrook.com/discada.htm

http://www.chi.itesm.mx/chihuahua/arte_cultura/cocina/carnes/discada.html (SPANISH)