Ingredients:

  • 8 oz Skirt Steak (Arrachera), sliced against the grain
  • 6 oz Chicken Breast strips
  • 3 oz Mexican Chorizo, casings removed
  • 4 oz Shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1.5 lb Roma tomatoes
  • 0.5 medium yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 3 medium jalapeño peppers (or Serrano)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro
  • 4 medium cactus paddles (nopales), sliced into strips
  • 4 small cambray onions (or scallions)
  • 3 oz Oaxaca Cheese, shredded
  • 1.5 oz Queso Fresco, cubed for garnish
  • 1 medium avocado, sliced for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Place your clean, empty molcajete into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 375°F (190°C). Let it heat for a full 60 minutes. Do not rush this step.
  2. While the stone heats, place the whole Roma tomatoes, half onion, unpeeled garlic, and peppers onto a hot griddle (comal) or heavy skillet. Roast until they are smoky, blackened, and collapsing—about 15 minutes, turning often.
  3. Peel the roasted garlic and toss all the roasted vegetables into a blender. Add the chicken broth and fresh cilantro. Blend briefly until it’s thick and rustic, not smooth. Season aggressively with salt.
  4. Toss the nopales and cambray onions with a touch of oil and grill until they have beautiful char marks and are tender. Set aside.
  5. Slice your skirt steak and chicken and season them along with the shrimp with olive oil, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper.
  6. In a large skillet, cook the chorizo until it is completely browned and has released its brilliant red fat. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving all the rendered fat.
  7. Use the reserved chorizo fat to sear the steak and chicken strips in batches until nicely browned and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Add the shrimp during the last 2 minutes until they turn opaque pink.
  8. Gently fold the cooked chorizo, chicken, steak, and shrimp back into the skillet.
  9. Carefully remove the scorching hot molcajete from the oven using heavy mitts and place it on a heat-proof trivet. Quickly pour the warmed salsa base into the molcajete. Immediately layer the combined meat mixture, grilled nopales, and cambray onions on top. Scatter the shredded Oaxaca cheese over the proteins. Top with fresh avocado slices and cubed queso fresco. Serve immediately alongside warm tortillas.