Steak & Poblano Tostadas

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Small dice the cucumbers. Halve the tomatoes. Peel the shallot; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Halve the lime. In a large bowl, combine the diced cucumbers, halved tomatoes, sliced shallot, and the juice of all both lime halves; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the guajillo chile sauce and sour cream. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Pick the mint leaves off the stems. 

While the vegetables marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepitas; season with salt and peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 3 minutes, or until toasted (be careful, as the pepitas may pop as they cook). Transfer to a bowl and immediately season with salt. Wipe out the pan.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels; remove the tails. Season with salt and pepper. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until opaque and cooked through. Transfer to the bowl of marinated vegetables. Add the cilantro sauce; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Wipe out the pan.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and enough of the spice blend to coat (you may have extra). In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness.* Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

*An instant-read thermometer should register 145°F.

Meanwhile, place the tortillas and peppers on two sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; turn to coat and arrange in an even layer. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy and peppers are browned and blistered. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut off and discard the stems of the peppers. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then roughly chop. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling.

Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested steaks; thinly slice crosswise against the grain. Assemble the tostadas using the sliced steaks, chopped peppers, cheese, toasted pepitas, and mint leaves (tearing just before adding). Drizzle with the guajillo sour cream. Serve the tostadas with the shrimp and vegetable salad on the side. Enjoy!