Short Rib Quesadilla

One of my favorite kitchen sink lunches is turning last night’s dinner leftovers into a creative (and sometimes bizarre) quesadilla. Living in LA I’ve got access to fresh tortillas 24/7 from Northgate Market, but pretty good tortillas can be found almost anywhere. Look for ones that are soft and pliable, they’ll give you a great texture and not dry out in the pan.

This recipe utilizes leftover short ribs from this recipe. Though you can essentially use any leftover meat or hearty veg in here.

Short Rib Quesadilla

Prep Time:  5 min
Total Time: 10 min
Yield: Per Quesadilla

Ingredients:

Essentials: 

• 2 - 6 inch tortillas

• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of your preference)

• ¼ cup shredded pre-cooked short rib (from the wine drunk short rib recipe)

Toppings:

• A dollop of sour cream

• A squeeze of fresh lime

• A few pickled onions 

• Sliced avocado

• Hot sauce

• Cilantro 

Pickled Onions:

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/4 tsp peppercorns

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Heat a pan over a medium-low heat

2. Lay in the first tortilla and spread evenly with half the cheese

3. Add the layer of meat, followed by the rest of the cheese and the top tortilla

4. Cook for 2 minutes until the bottom half of the cheese is melted, flip, and repeat 

5. Allow the quesadilla to cool for a few minutes before slicing into triangles and top with sour cream, lime, pickled onions, sliced avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro, or however, you like!

Pickled Onions:

1. Bring salt, sugar, and cider vinegar to a simmer to dissolve

2. Remove from heat and add peppercorns, oregano, and orange juice

3. Shove the onions into a jar and pour the mixture over

4. Let cool and put in the fridge until chilled. Enjoy throughout the week!