Molcajete Recipe

Make the marinade

In a bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper until combined.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for brushing the shrimp later. Place beef and pork/chorizo in separate shallow dishes or zipper bags and pour remaining marinade over them. Toss to coat, press out air and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes (no longer than 2 hours).

When shrimp are ready to be cooked, toss them with the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade and set aside no more than 15 minutes before cooking.

Roast tomatoes & peppers

Preheat broiler or a hot cast-iron skillet. Place whole roma tomatoes, jalapeños, and 2 garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil or roast, turning occasionally, until skins are blistered and blackened in spots (8–12 minutes). Remove and let cool slightly.

Using a blender or the molcajete: remove stems and charred skin from jalapeños if desired (leave some char for flavor). Roughly chop roasted tomatoes, jalapeños, and peeled roasted garlic. In the molcajete (or bowl), grind a pinch of salt and half of the diced white onion until slightly paste-like, then add roasted mix and pound/roughly mash to a chunky salsa. Stir in chopped cilantro and adjust salt to taste. Set salsa aside.

Chop remaining white onion finely for topping and slice avocado. Crumble queso fresco and warm the refried beans in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring to loosen.

Sear the beef

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over high heat until just smoking. Pat the steak dry, season with remaining 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Sear steak 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature ~130–135°F / 54–57°C) depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5–7 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain into bite-size strips.

Cook the pork/chorizo

If using pork shoulder: cut into 1/2-inch cubes, season lightly, and sear in the same skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through (6–10 minutes). If using chorizo: crumble into the pan and cook until fully rendered and slightly crisp (5–7 minutes). Remove and keep warm with the sliced beef.

Cook the shrimp

Wipe skillet clean, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add marinated shrimp in a single layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque and pink. Avoid overcooking. Remove from heat.

If you have a heated molcajete (stone mortar), preheat it by placing it in a low oven (200°F/95°C) for 10 minutes or by pouring hot water in, then emptying and drying. Place the warm molcajete on a heatproof surface.

Spread warm refried beans into the bottom of the molcajete (or a shallow serving bowl) forming a base layer. Spoon some of the roasted tomato salsa over the beans.

Arrange sliced steak, cooked pork or chorizo, and shrimp on top of the salsa and beans in sections so diners can mix their own bites.

Top with sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, a sprinkle of chopped onion, extra cilantro, and pickled jalapeños if using. Serve with lime wedges and warm corn tortillas on the side.

To eat: scoop some beans, meat, salsa and avocado onto a warm tortilla. Squeeze lime and garnish with extra onion and cilantro. If using a true molcajete, it will retain heat and keep components warm throughout the meal.

Storage: refrigerate leftovers in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat meats gently in a skillet; reheat beans and salsa separately. Avocado is best added fresh.