I LOVE preparing Mexican inspired dishes. Every since I was a little girl Mexican food has been one of my favorite cuisines. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Mexico on several occasions and enjoyed some of the most flavorful meals I have ever tasted.
Traditional Mexican food is very different from many of the dishes we experience in American restaurants. Typically, tostadas are a favorite food in the region and are eaten lightly topped with fresh ingredients, and beans.
My Version
For my version, let’s just say, I “kicked it up a few notches, – BAMM!” in the words of the great Emeril Lagasse. This tostadas recipe is jam-packed with tons of flavor; it takes a bit of time to prepare, but it’s worth every minute. To reduce preparation time, you can indeed use canned beans, pre-cut packaged slaw, canned corn, and package shredded cheeses. As a result, this Tostada eats like a meal, and that is part of the joy; a one-dish dinner done.
Putting your twist on food is what makes every dish special. So, don’t be afraid to adapt your ideas to existing dishes for flavorful customization.
Time to Get Cooking
Ingredients
| 1 Pound Steak Cubed | 1/2 Head of Red Cabbage Shredded |
| 1 Tomato Chopped | 1 Jalapeno Finely Diced |
| 1 Avocado Sliced | 2 Scallions Chopped |
| 1/2 Large Lime Juiced | 4 Garlic Cloves Finely Chopped |
| 1/2 Bunch of Cilantro Chopped | 1 Large Ear of Corn (Kernels Removed) |
| 2 Cups of Shredded Cheese | 1 16oz Can of Beans |
| 1 Tablespoon Vinegar | Salt & Pepper to Taste |
| 1/2 Cup of Ranch Dressing |
| 1 lb New York Strip Steak | 1/2 Cup White Cheddar Cheese |
| 1/2 Cup Regular Cheddar Cheese | 1 Cup Canned Black Beans |
| 1 Jar of Salsa | 1/4 Head of Red Cabbage |
| 1 Romano Tomato | 1/2 Bunch Cilantro |
| 1 Clove of Garlic | 1 Lime |
| 1 Jalapeños | 1 Ear Fresh Corn on Cob |
| 2 Scallions | 1 Avocado |
| 1 tsp Salt | 1 tsp Black Pepper |
| 1 tsp paprika | 1/4 Cup Olive Oil |
| 2 tbsp Ranch Dressing | 6 Corn Tortillas |
Steak Marinade
| 1 tsp Chili Powder | 1 tsp Allspice |
| 1 tsp Salt | 1 tsp Black Pepper |
| 1 tbsp Cumin | 1 tsp paprika |
| 1 Clove Chopped Garlic | 1/2 Bunch Chopped Cilantro |
| 1/2 Bunch Chopped Cilantro | 1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine |
| 1 tbsp Olive Oil | 1 tsp White Vinegar |
| White Parts of Scallions |
Preparation
Begin by preparing the steak marinade for the tostadas. Combine all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and stir until completely mixed. Next, cut the steak into 1/2″ cubes and place them into the marinade, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and allow it to just reach room temperature before moving on to the next steps.
Prepare the Other Elements
For my version, let’s just say, I “kicked it up a few notches, – BAMM!” in the words of the great Emeril Lagasse. This tostada is jam-packed with tons of flavor; it takes a bit of time to prepare, but it’s worth every minute. To reduce preparation time, you can indeed use canned beans, pre-cut packaged slaw, canned corn, and package shredded cheeses. This Tostada eats like a meal, and that is part of the joy; a one-dish dinner done.
Putting your twist on food is what makes every dish special. So, don’t be afraid to adapt your ideas to existing dishes for flavorful customization.
- Shred the red cabbage. Be sure not to shred the cabbage to finely. A medium shred should do just fine and create an additional wonderful layer of texture for this dish.
- Dice the tomato and the jalapeño, and cut up the scallions, separating the white part from the green.
- Cut the lime in half and then take one of the halves and cut it into quarters. Do worry about cutting the other half up, we are going to be using that half for juice only.
- Chop up the garlic and cilantro, and then slice the avocado in half and remove the skin and seed. If you have some you can put a little lemon juice on the avocado to prevent it from browning before we assemble the dish.
- Roast or grill the corn before removing the kernels from the cob, for a nice smoky accent. I have chosen to prepare mine a bit differently this time. Remove the corn kernels from the cob and set them aside. Heat a medium size pan over medium heat, place 1 tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic, cook for 1 minute and then add the green portion of the scallions and cook for 1 more minute. Add the corn kernels to the pan with salt and pepper and cook until he kernels are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside once corn is done.
Slaw Preparation For Beefy Tostadas
- Combine shredded lettuce, the reserved green scallions, the reserved cilantro, jalapeños and ranch dressing in a bowl.
- Squeeze the juice from the 1/2 of lime into the bowl and the vinegar, and add a 1/4 tsp or salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to bowl. Mix all ingredients until well combined. Set slaw aside.
Don’t Forget the Beans
- Pour the beans from the can into a colander and rinse thoroughly.
- Place the beans into small pot and fill with enough water to cover an inch above the beans, add a dash of salt and warm beans over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes. We want the beans to be very tender so that they can be easily mashed.
- Once the beans are very tender, but not falling apart, strain off the water in the pot and return the beans to the pot. Add the chicken broth to the pot and mash beans with a potato masher until they are the consistency of refried beans.
If you purchased blocks of cheese, now is the time to shred the cheeses and set the shredded cheese aside for later. While, I prefer to purchase block cheese, pre-shredded in the bag works just as good.
We are rounding third now on the preparation process and we need to get that meat cooking so we can get eating these delicious tostadas
Cook the Beef & Tortillas
- Heat a large pan on the stove over medium high heat. If you prefer and you have the time, grilling the steak is a great option. Either way will taste delightful.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the heated pan, and carefully place the steak into the hot pan. Be careful, when adding the meat.
- Sear meat 3 – 5 minutes, turning occasionally until all sides of meat are browned and steak is cooked to medium well on the inside.
- Once cooked, remove the steak from the pan, place on a dish and set it aside.
- Using the same pan, wipe the pan out and then add the remaining oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and one by one add the tortilla’s to the oil until all are cooked to a crisp texture, but not browned.
- Drain the tortilla’s on paper towel.
Plate
Plate the tostadas elements: Equally divide the prepared elements of the dish between two plates and serve. Allowing each person to assemble their own tostada’s is a creative fun way to serve this delicious dish.
Time to Assemble: complete the following steps for each tostada
- Smear some of the black beans onto the tostada, almost to the edge. The beans will act as a binder to help keep the other ingredients from falling off the shell.
- Sprinkle on some of the white cheddar and yellow cheddar cheeses onto the tostadas
- Sprinkle on some of the corn and add several cubes of the cooked steak.
- Top the tostadas with the red cabbage slaw, tomatoes, and salsa
- Garnish with avocado slices and sliced lime wedges
