Cinco de Mayo Feast: Surf and Turf Mexican Soft Tacos
Celebrate Cinco De Mayo tonight with this festive, fun taco feast!
Ingredients
For the marinated steak:
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 round tablespoon ancho chili powder or other mild-medium chili powder
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt and lots of coarse black pepper
- 4 flat iron steaks (6-8 ounces each) or 1 1/2-2 pounds flank steak
For the pickled red onions:
- 1 small onion, sliced and separated
- 2 limes
- Salt and pepper
For the rice:
- 1 package defrosted frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung dry
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, grated or pasted
- A handful of cilantro
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups organic, white, long grain rice
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
For the horseradish sour cream:
- 2 level tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
For the salsa:
- 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- A handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- Salt, to taste
For the shrimp:
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 1 pound medium shrimp, deveined, tails removed and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon each paprika, cumin and coriander
- 1/2 lemon
- 16 soft tacos, corn or flour, heated or charred
- Refried or black beans, to serve alongside
Preparation
For the steak, combine the garlic, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and EVOO. Season the steak with a little salt and lots of black pepper and cover in the dressing. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
Place the onions in small bowl and dress with the lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and reserve.
30 minutes before dinner, start the rice: Place the spinach, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro in a food processor and finely chop. Reserve in a small bowl. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice. Stir, bring to a boil, then add a drizzle of EVOO and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 16 minutes, then add in the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes more, then turn off the heat. Season the rice with salt and pepper, to taste.
While the rice cooks, heat a flat griddle or grill pan or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, rinse the processor bowl and return it to the base for the horseradish sour cream. Add the horseradish, sour cream, avocado, lemon juice and salt and process into a smooth sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and reserve.
For the salsa, combine the tomatoes in a small bowl with the jalapeños and cilantro and season with salt. Cook the meat for 8-12 minutes for rare to medium-well, turning once. Let the meat rest for a few minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of EVOO. Add the bacon and render, then add the shrimp and cook to pink, 3-4 minutes, season with paprika, cumin and coriander.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of EVOO, add bacon and render then add shrimp and cook to pink, 3-4 minutes. Season with paprika, cumin, coriander.
To serve, serve the sliced steak and shrimp with the tortillas, horseradish sour cream, tomato salsa and pickled onions for topping. Serve the green rice along with refried or black beans alongside.
