Cinco de Mayo Feast: Surf and Turf Mexican Soft Tacos

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 EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and lots of coarse black pepper
4 6-to 8-ounce flat iron steaks or 1 1/2 to 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 jalapeno 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 of organic, white, long grain rice
Drizzle of EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
A handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
For the Shrimp
A drizzle of EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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 along side

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

For meat, combine garlic, chili powder, Worcestershire and EVOO. Season steak with a little salt and lots of black pepper, and cover in dressing. Marinate for 30 minutes or up to a few hours.

Place onions in small bowl and dress with lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and reserve.

30 minutes before dinner, start the rice: Place spinach, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro in food processor and finely chop. Reserve in a small bowl. Bring chicken stock to a boil and add rice. Stir, bring to a boil, add a drizzle of oil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 16 minutes then add in spinach mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook 1-2 minutes more then turn off heat. Season rice with salt and pepper to taste.

While rice cooks, heat 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 horseradish, sour cream, avocado, lemon juice and salt, and process into a smooth sauce. Transfer to serving bowl and reserve.

For the salsa, combine tomatoes in a small bowl with jalapeños and cilantro, and season with salt.

Cook meat 8-12 minutes for rare to medium-well, turning once. Let meat rest a few minutes then slice thinly against grain.

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 sliced steak and shrimp with tortillas, horseradish sour cream, tomato salsa and pickled onions for topping. Serve green rice and refried or black beans alongside.