Charred Lemon Cactus Salad

Chef Santos Miguel Jiménez was born in Mexico City but was raised by parents from the regional culinary destination of Oaxaca who were bakers by trade and directly contributed to his interest in cooking. In 1993, Jiménez immigrated to the United States with the sole purpose of expanding his culinary training and professional experience. Jiménez began his restaurant experience in the U.S. as a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant but quickly moved into a cook role when the restaurant needed to fill an empty spot — Jiménez hasn’t looked back since. He rose to pantry or prep chef in a short time, but got an itch to expand his culinary focus. A few years later he earned a sous chef position at P.F. Chang’s, which he held for four years. He then worked for seven years at Boom Noodle, where he was promoted to chef, and then for four years at Wild Ginger as head chef. Jiménez is dedicated to excelling in the restaurant industry, building successful teams and creating dishes that showcase his years of effort and experience across different culinary traditions. In his own words: "Nothing has been easy, but the time has come to share with even more people a little of what I have learned in my culinary career and the flavors of my Dear Mexico — the recipes that I have engraved in my hands."

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