Nick Massie of Paleo Nick is in the kitchen with special guest Sam Dancer, preparing a holiday feast fit for an athlete. Give the gift of good nutrition with Massie’s recipe for beef and shrimp tampiqueña, a festive riff on a classic Mexican meat dish. Feliz Navidad!
For the Beef:
• 1 beef tenderloin* (5-7 lb.), trimmed of silver skin and tied to a uniform thickness**
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ c. Cheechako Tako spice blend, or Mexican seasoning listed below
• 4 ft. of butchers twine
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Rub beef with olive oil and spice blend until uniformly coated on all sides.
- Place seasoned beef on a foil-lined sheet pan and place in the oven.
- Roast until the center of the thickest part of the tenderloin reads 120 F.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before removing twine and slicing.
- See plating instructions.
* You can use flank steak, skirt steak, ribeye, sirloin, tri-tip, etc. You can also grill these cuts instead of roasting them.
** You do not have to tie the tenderloin; it simply helps the meat cook uniformly.
Mexican Spice Blend:
Combine the following ingredients:
• 2 tbsp. ancho chile powder
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
• ½ tbsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
For the Shrimp:
• 2 lb. wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• juice of one lime
Instructions:
- Heat a large sauté pan (14 in.) over high heat.
- Add olive oil and garlic to the pan and stir until garlic begins to toast.
- Season the top side of the shrimp with kosher salt and pepper, and place them seasoned-side down in the pan. Immediately season the other side of the shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Stir shrimp to incorporate garlic.
- Allow to cook for 60 seconds and then add the fresh lime juice.
- Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes longer or until shrimp are just cooked through.
- Cut the heat and see plating instructions.
For the Christmas Pico:
• 2 large tomatoes, washed, cored and small-diced
• ½ large red onion, small-diced
• juice of 2 limes
• ½ jalapeño, minced
• ½ bunch of fresh cilantro, chiffonade (finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed into paste
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and season with kosher salt and pepper to your liking.
- See plating instructions.
Plating:
• 2 c. cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
Instructions:
- Slice beef into medallions ½-to-1-in. thick and place them on a large, oven-safe serving platter.
- Top beef with shrimp and cheese.
- Place platter in a hot oven or under the broiler for 60-90 seconds, just long enough for the cheese to melt, but not become crispy.
- Remove from oven, top with Christmas Pico and garnish plate with cilantro.
- Tell your family and friends that you love them and that this platter is proof!
Originally published – Dec. 2017.
Beef and Shrimp Tampiqueña With Christmas Pico