Grilled Lime Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (On Homemade Tortillas!)

Time Management: If you are making all three items, I suggest that you start with the marinade. I then suggest that you make the tortilla dough, which takes approximately 5 minutes. While the dough is sitting, prep your toppings. Also prep items for salsa and roasted vegetables, which is approximately 10-15 minutes. While your vegetables are roasting, you can start rolling and cooking tortillas. This takes 10-15 minutes depending on how fast you roll, but will likely overlap with your roasting. When done with tortillas, process salsa and cook the shrimp, which is no more than 10 minutes. Salsa can also be made the night before.

1. At least an hour before cooking, clean your shrimp. Mix juice of 4 limes, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 chopped onion, olive oil, sugar and chili powder into a bowl or ziplock bag along with the shrimp. Be sure shrimp are thoroughly covered. Place in fridge until ready to cook.

2. Prepare your tortilla dough. Place flour in large bowl. Cut up shortening and mix into flour thoroughly with your hands until you get a sandy mixture. You could use a fork, but your hands are quicker and mix more thoroughly.

3. Dissolve salt in warm water. Slowly add to flour, incorporating until a dough comes together. I used all of my water, some people won’t. I also suggest mixing by hand until mostly combined.

4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

5. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls. I divided in half, then divided in half, to get 4 pieces. I then cut those 4 pieces into 3 each. I also had the help of my kitchen scale, which gave me 12 balls of approximately 1.7 ounces each.

6. Heat a dry skillet to medium-high heat on your stove. Two at a time, keeping the other balls covered, roll the balls out to about 7″ in diameter. Don’t let the two tortillas touch, or they will stick together. Cook approximately 45 seconds on each side until brown. Then roll two more, and repeat. If you’d like to do this step while roasting tomatillos on the BBQ, you’ll need a cast iron skillet or any other skillet you feel safe using on the grill. Time will vary because it is harder to control the heat on the grill. I don’t think placing the dough right on the grill will work because they’ll burn easily. As each tortilla finishes cooking, remove from skillet and cover to keep warm.

7. During dough down time, the night before, or just before you cook your shrimp, remove husks from tomatillos and wash thoroughly to remove sticky wax.

8. On a grilling rack over the BBQ, or on a baking sheet under your oven’s broiler, place whole tomatillos, jalapeno(s), and 5 unpeeled garlic cloves. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, and then flip, cooking 5 minutes on the other side. Charring is fine.

9. Deseed and peel the skin off of the jalapeno(s). Peel garlic cloves. Along with tomatillos, onion, juice from 1/2 lime and vinegar, place in food processor and puree. Add salt to taste.

10. Skewer shrimp and cook on grill for 2-3 minutes, flipping once one side is cooked. I also used my cast iron skillet, which was still on my grill, to cook up the onions that were left over from the shrimp marinade.

11. Serve as a taco bar, or stack as thus: tortilla, shredded cabbage & radish, avocado slice, shrimp, salsa and cheese/cilantro.