Steak Tostadas

Steak With A Mexican Twist – Steak Tostadas

For the steak:

½-1 pound skirt steak

ground ancho chili powder, to taste

dried chipotle powder, to taste

ground cumin, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

olive or grapeseed oil, for searing

For serving:

White or yellow corn tortillas, baked or fried until golden brown and crispy (or you can buy crispy tostadas!)

avocado crema (recipe below)

shredded lettuce

thinly sliced jalapeno

pickled onion (recipe below)

grated oaxaca cheese (you can substitute with jack or any creamy, melting cheese if you can’t find oaxaca)

Remove any excess fat or silver skin from your skirt steak. Season the steak with as much ancho chili powder, dried chipotle powder and ground cumin as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a sauté pan and cook until medium-rare or your desired doneness. Remove from the plate and rest for 4-5 minutes before slicing and serving.

To serve your tostadas, spread a little avocado crema down on your tostada. Top with sliced steak, shredded lettuce, sliced jalapenos (if desired), pickled onions and grated cheese.

For the Avocado Crema:

1 avocado

½ cup Mexican crema

juice of 2 limes

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

kosher salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Refried Beans with Crumbled Queso Fresco

For the Beans:

4 cups cooked black beans, DRAIN AND RESERVE COOKING LIQUID

I rinse my black beans and pick though for any rocks or debris then soak them overnight. After soaking, I cook them in UNSALTED water with 1 onion cut in quarters. I cook the beans over a low simmer until they smash easily between 2 fingers. Reserve the cooking water for the refried beans.

For the Refried Beans:

1-2 tablespoons neutral oil like canola or vegetable

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

½ cup yellow onion, tiny diced

4 cups cooked beans, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

1 cup reserved bean cooking liquid

kosher salt, to taste

For serving:

crumbled queso fresco

picked cilantro leaves for garnish

Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Cook the garlic and onions until soft fragrant. Add the spices and toast for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a blender with the cilantro stems, cooked beans and the reserved liquid. Puree until the desired consistency is reached.

Heat the same pan with another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. When hot, add the beans carefully back into the pan. Taste for seasoning. Serve topped with queso fresco and cilantro.