Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for some incredible, cheesy shrimp Tacos Gobernador cooked on the cast iron griddle in the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Roasting and steaming the poblanos before dicing: Charring the skin over direct flame and then bagging the pepper to steam loosens the blackened skin, so it peels away cleanly, leaving smoky flesh without any bitterness.
- Cooking the filling in stages on the same griddle: Softening the onions first, then adding the shrimp, then the tomato and hot sauce, builds each layer of flavor before the next ingredient goes in, all without changing pans.
- Wiping the griddle clean before folding the tacos: Clearing off the surface after the filling is done gives the tortillas fresh, clean butter and heat to crisp against, instead of cooking them in leftover browned bits from the filling.
- A blended salsa built from charred vegetables: Grilling the tomatillos, peppers, and onion before blending them into the Avocado Salsa Verde adds a smoky depth that a raw-blended salsa wouldn't have.
Tacos Gobernador
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
12
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
22 minutes
Calories
381
Experience the smoky, cheesy goodness of Chef Tom's shrimp Tacos Gobernador. This recipe is cooked to perfection on Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill and cast iron griddle.
Ingredients
- 6-8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb shrimp, shell off, tail off, deveined
- 1/2 cup roma tomato
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups Queso Chihuahua
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning, to taste
-
Hoff & Pepper Smoken Ghost Hot Sauce, to taste
- 1 lb tomatillos, husks peeled
- 2-3 Anaheim peppers
- 4 large jalapeño peppers
- Flesh of 2 small avocados
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- juice of 1 lime
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt, to taste
For the Avocado Salsa Verde: (Y ~ 1 qt)
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450ºF set up with the Yoder Smokers Reversible Cast Iron Griddle in center of the grill (flat side up). Place your standard grill grate on left side of the griddle, just over the fire box.
- Roast poblano on over direct flame until blackened on all side. Place in a bag to steam. Peel the skin. Remove the seeds. Dice the flesh.
- Melt 1 tbsp of butter on the griddle. Cook the onions with some Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning until softened and lightly browned. Move off to the right side of griddle.
- Add 1 more tbsp butter, then shrimp and more Mexicano. Cook until almost opaque. Add tomato, garlic and Hoff & Pepper Smoken Ghost Hot Sauce, to taste. Cook briefly.
- Combine shrimp mix, onions and roasted poblanos in a bowl. Add cilantro and lime and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Wipe the griddle clean with wet towel.
- Melt more butter (2-3 tbsp) and place 6 corn tortillas on melted butter, top with about 2-3 tbsp cheese each and spread out cheese. add about 1/2 cup shrimp filling to the top of the cheese. Fold to enclose. Toast on both side of tortilla. Serve with Avocado Salsa Verde.
- Grill the tomatillos, peppers and onion over the direct flamel until the outsides are nicely charred. The peppers should be blackened on the outside. Place the peppers in a zip-top bag. Allow the peppers to steam in the bag for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the bag. Remove the stems and seeds. Peel the skins from the flesh and discard. Roughly chop the flesh of the peppers. Remove the stems from the onions and roughly chop. Combine all salsa ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why roast the poblano and steam it in a bag before dicing it?
Charring the skin over direct flame builds smoky flavor, and steaming it in a sealed bag afterward loosens that blackened skin so it peels away cleanly, leaving tender, smoky flesh without any bitterness from the char.
Why cook the filling in stages instead of adding everything to the griddle at once?
Softening the onions first, then adding the shrimp, and finally the tomato and hot sauce lets each ingredient build on the last, rather than dumping everything in together and losing that layered flavor.
Why wipe the griddle clean before toasting the tacos?
Clearing off browned bits from cooking the filling gives the tortillas fresh butter and a clean surface to crisp against, instead of picking up burnt fond left over from the shrimp and onions.
Why char the tomatillos, peppers, and onion before blending the salsa?
Grilling the vegetables first adds a smoky depth to the Avocado Salsa Verde that blending them raw wouldn't produce, giving the salsa more complexity alongside the fresh avocado and cilantro.
What internal temperature should the shrimp actually reach?
Step 4 says to cook the shrimp "until almost opaque," but shrimp should be cooked until fully opaque all the way through, reaching an internal temperature of at least 145°F — the USDA minimum for shellfish. "Almost opaque" risks pulling them before they're actually done.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — a flat-top griddle or large skillet on the stovetop can handle the filling and toasting the tacos; a broiler can char the poblano and salsa vegetables in place of the grill's direct flame.
Recipe Highlights
Char-then-steam poblano: Makes the blackened skin easy to peel cleanly.
Staged filling build: Layers onion, shrimp, and tomato flavors in sequence.
Clean griddle for toasting: Gives the tortillas fresh butter and heat to crisp against.
Charred salsa base: Grilling the vegetables first adds smoky depth to the salsa verde.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 7.56 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 381
- Carbs
- 25 grams
- Protein
- 32 grams
- Fat
- 17 grams
- Sodium
- 436 milligrams
