Photo courtesy of www.freedomgrill.com Used with permission
The above picture shows a customized FG-50 Grill from freedomgrill.com. Wouldn't that look nice at your next Tailgate at INVESCO?
Well here we are at the end of the regular season in the NFL and the last opportunity for a Tailgate Party. Our beloved Broncos are hosting the San Diego Chargers in a game that means little to either teams season record. Neither will be playing in the postseason, but the Bolts wish to finish on the plus side of .500 and the Broncos want a win for their pride and their rookie quarterback Tim Tebow.
The Tailgate theme for this week comes from the sea and the San Diego region. I'm calling an audible for Fish Tacos. All along the San Diego seaside and into Baja you can find Taco stands. They are a favorite of hungry beach goers and starving surfer dudes. Of course being near the ocean provides a source of fresh ingredients and Fish combined with the area cuisine brought about this succulent selection for this game.
Before I get to the dish, let me just give a shout out to Dave Lamm from tailgatingideas for the helping hand.
And as an added bonus, here are 5 Cheap Tailgating Tips to help you with your next Grill Fest.
Fish Tacos
Prep Time: 35 min
Inactive Prep: 25 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
Tacos:
- 1 pound white flaky fish, such as Mahi Mahi, Cod, Orange Roughy or Halibut.
- 1/4 cup Canola oil
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 8 flour tortillas
Garnish:
- Shredded white cabbage
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Thinly sliced green onion
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork. Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.
Pureed Tomato Salsa:
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Serrano chile
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Coriander
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 Lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper
Preheat grill or use side burners of the grill. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, Serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce, oregano, cumin, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
If you feel like running a trick play, try substituting the Salsa for some of this:
Jalapeno Pesto
- 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
- 4 jalapenos, grilled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Scrape into a bowl. Serve with the Fish Tacos and enjoy.
Remember, the hotter the spice, the better to combat the cool weather expected this weekend in the Mile High City. I want mine hotter than Tebow was in last week's game. And if you can't attend the game, you can always rustle up this concoction in your kitchen or your patio if the weather in your area permits.
As always, good eating and...
Go Broncos!