Steak and Cactus Burritos

I had my first cactus burrito the other week at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican spot in the East Vill. It is a tiny place right across from the lovely and acclaimed Cheap Shots. I had been wanting to try cactus for a while. I think my friend Lindsey had it once and she told me about it. Anyways, the texture is great - it is crunchy but still soft. Almost like a pepper meets a mushroom; the initial crunch is that of a pepper, but the mushy inside is that of a mushroom. The taste tho is very bland - it picks up the intense Mexican flavors well. I found canned cactus at Whole Foods yesterday and it is a def must-try!

So I had one cactus burrito and one steak burrito (I know, I know - a lot of food). Meegy made the BEST marinated skirt steak. We were coughing so much when we cooked it because of all the spices... it was really funny. Anyways, this is a great crowd pleaser and your vegetarian friends will love that you introduced them to cactus.

Rice
Refried pinto beans
Canned cactus
Ricota solata
Flour tortillas

A
1 lb skirt steak
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lime (zest + juice)
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayene
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sugar (preferably brown sugar)

B
5 medium tomatillos
1 tomato
1 handful cilantro
2 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion
1 jalapeno
1/2 tsp cumin
1 lime (for juice)

C
1 ear corn
1 avocado
1/2 red onion
1 lime (for juice)

Get your meat marinating first. Mix A (minus steak) together and pat over the skirt steak... get sloppy here. Let this marinate at room temp.

Cook rice according to package directions.

Puree B in food processor for a spicy salsa verde.

Boil corn for 5 minutes and let rest and then take off of ear. Combine C and add 2 TBSP of B to this. This is a chunky corn and avocado salsa.

Cooking the skirt steak is crucial. We did ours in the cast iron. Make sure whatever you're cooking the skirt steak in is smoking hot! Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes WITHOUT touching it once it's down. Remove from heat, let cool for 15-25 minutes then slice thinly.

Fry the cactus until warm and slightly browned.

Heat up cactus.

To warm the tortillas, run them under water and microwave for 30 seconds. It helps if you wrap these in foil, Chipotle style, so they do not fall apart.

Assemble everything and enjoy!