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Pueblo Bonito Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife—and for the area’s famous Cabo Arch, a rock formation that erupts from the sea.
The resort is also known for its tacos, which are always on the menu. Two of their most popular recipes are below: Baja Shrimp Tacos, and Ribeye & Shrimp Tacos, a “surf and turf” approach. The recipes, which are just in time for National Taco Day, October 4th, follow.
But first, some taco trivia:
The name derives from the “tacos” of gunpowder that miners used to blast through rock during the silver mining era in 18th-century Mexico.
The humble Mexican miner’s meal has become an internationally beloved food, with an abundance of styles and varieties with fillings that range from traditional to gourmet to creative (corned beef and cabbage tacos, sashimi tacos, etc.).
In addition to National Taco Day, October 4th, taco holidays include National Fish Taco Day on January 25th, National Crunchy Taco Day on March 21st, and Día del Taco (Day of the Taco) in Mexico, on March 31st. Not to mention, Taco Tuesday every week!
> Here’s the history of tacos.
> Here are 20+ delicious taco recipes in addition to the two below.
Buen provecho! (That’s Spanish for bon appétit.)
RECIPE #1: BAJA SHRIMP TACOS
A classic Baja-style taco is made with a fish fillet, either deep-fried or grilled. They are most often topped with cabbage, radishes, and a creamy white sauce.
This recipe, from the resort’s Peninsula Restaurant, uses shrimp instead of fish and tops it with creamy coleslaw instead of cabbage and white sauce. But the coleslaw has the same basic ingredients as the white sauce: sour cream, and mayonnaise.
We grilled the shrimp instead of frying them, as the recipe directs.
Ingredients For 6 Tacos
For The Shrimp
2/4 cup sparkling water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon wheat flour
2 teaspoons onion salt
2 tablespoon ground chipotle chili
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup cornstarch
12 large shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1/4 cup corn oil for frying
For The Coleslaw
2 cups red cabbage (washed and julienned)
2 cups green cabbage (washed and julienned)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste (you can substitute celery salt)
Optional seasonings: cumin, hot sauce, lime juice
For Serving
6 warm flour tortillas or hard corn tortillas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 fresh cilantro (washed and finely chopped)
1/4 onion, chop into small cubes
1 lime cut into wedges
Salt
Preparation
1. MAKE the coleslaw: Mix the red and green cabbage with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Season to taste. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. PREPARE the shrimp batter: Sift together the flour, onion salt, chipotle, and black pepper. Mix together the eggs and sparkling water in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
3. DIP the shrimp into the cornstarch and let the excess drip off, then coat the shrimp with the batter. Heat the oil and fry the shrimp until lightly golden. Place them on several paper towels to absorb excess oil.
4. ASSEMBLE the tacos: Place two shrimp in each tortilla and top with coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and onion. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice squeezed. Serve with salt, as desired.
RECIPE #2: SURF & TURF TACOS (RIB EYE & SHRIMP)
This recipe, from the Quivira Steakhouse, is a “surf and turf” taco with grilled steak and shrimp, a cheese crust on the tortillas, and pineapple and jalapeño mignonette sauce.
Ingredients For 3 Tacos
8 ounces/220 grams USDA prime rib eye
4 tablespoons/50 grams shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 corn tortillas
3 jumbo shrimp
1 avocado
4-1/2 teaspoons/20 grams finely chopped cilantro
3-1/3 teaspoons/15 grams julienned onion
For The Mignonette Sauce
7 ounces/200 grams pineapple
4 tablespoons/50 grams jalapeño
2-1/4 tablespoons/30 grams red onion
2-1/4 tablespoons/30 ml apple cider vinegar
7 tablespoons/100 ml olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Preparation
1. DICE the pineapple and red onion into small cubes.
2. Dice the jalapeño into small cubes after first removing the pith and seeds.
3. MIX the pineapple, onion, and jalapeño in a bowl, then add the apple vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste and set aside.
4. RUB the rib eye with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the steak on the grill to the desired doneness, then remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak into small strips.
5. CLEAN and butterfly the shrimp. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, then grill for 6 minutes (or until thoroughly cooked).
6. HEAT the tortillas in a pan or on a griddle. Add the Monterrey Jack cheese and flip. Let the cheese brown, making a cheese crust. The cheese is only on one side of the tortilla. On the opposite side…
7. ADD a few pieces of sliced rib eye and 1 shrimp to each taco. Add some onion, cilantro, and a few slices of avocado. Add the mignonette to taste, or serve it in a separate ramekin to pass.
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[1] Tacos galore, at Pueblo Bonita Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (photos #1, #2, #3, and #__ © Pueblo Bonito Resorts).
[2] A tasty taco trio.
[3] Ribeye tacos.
[4] Cilantro and lime juice add zip to just about all Mexican recipes (photo © Lindsay Moe | Unsplash).
[5] Boneless raw ribeye steak. Chuck eye steak is almost as tender and has the same delicious beefy flavor as ribeye, but it’s more budget-friendly (photo © Good Eggs).
[6] Jumbo shrimp, ready for “surf and turf” tacos.
[7] You can use canned pineapple, but fresh pineapple will add zingy acidity to the mignonette sauce (photo © The Fruit Company). |
