Archive for the ‘ Mexican ’ Category

GUACAMOLE


Let me start by saying that this is a recipe for guacamole the way I like to eat it.  Not too chunky, definitely not too smooth, bright with lime juice, and not a tomato or garlic clove in sight.  That’s right — I like to leave out the garlic and diced tomato you sometimes find in other recipes because I want the avocado to be the star.  In fact, I find the addition of garlic, even in small amounts, tends to overpower the delicate flavor of a good avocado. So, what makes my version so unique? Nothing special, really.  Just a few basic techniques that I find produce a perfectly textured, beautifully balanced guac that is as good as a dip with chips as it is a condiment on burritos, tacos and enchiladas.

My guacamole starts with ripe avocados — not the hard, vegetal tasting variety that you’re likely to find when they’ve just been delivered to your local supermarket.  With avocado prices what they are these days, in my opinion, it’s not worth the time or money to make guacamole unless you can find soft-ripe, buttery avocados to do so with.  This sometimes takes some careful planning, giving slightly under-ripe specimens the appropriate time needed to reach the proper level of ripeness.  Next, I give my guacamole a nice, healthy dose of freshly squeezed lime juice for a clean, citrusy note and finely minced serrano chiles and “deflamed” red onion for a bit of heat and textural contrast.  Finished with a bit of chopped cilantro and a good dash of salt and I’m left with a true a crowdpleaser.

This recipe doubles easily, so next time you have a group of friends coming over or are tasked with the duty of bringing a dip to your next potluck, throw out a bowl of this guacamole and watch it disappear.

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CHILE-BRAISED PORK TACOS

Chile-Braised Pork Tacos

If you’re wondering why I’m posting another pork taco recipe, try to understand that this is the type of food that I crave.  Comforting, flavorful food that fills the belly and is easy on the pocketbook.  Anyone who’s read my blog knows by now that I love Mexican food, so instead of  waxing poetic about the various influences that have colored my fondness for all fare south-of-the-border, let me explain what makes cooking dishes like this so appealing.

For me, a bowl of chile-braised pork sitting in my refrigerator represents a week’s worth of filling meals and tasty snacks to come.  A  3-pound piece of pork shoulder will make somewhere close to twenty tacos.  That’s ten servings coming from a piece of meat that costs somewhere around $11. 00 – $12.00 dollars.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.  Strapped for time on the weeknights?  Make this recipe your “Sunday braise” and reap the benefits of succulent homemade pork for the entire week.  It might take a bit of time and planning to prepare the chile paste, but if you do any kind of Mexican cooking at home, odds are you already have everything you need in your pantry.

If you’re adverse to heat, its important to know that the dried chiles in this recipe render a dish that is by no means spicy, but rather earthy and complex — subtly perfumed with spices like clove, allspice and oregano.  Still, as delicious as this may be, even I can tire of tacos. Fortunately, this recipe makes for an outstanding all-purpose Mexican pork.  It’s just as delicious in a burrito, rolled up with beans, sour cream, salsa and guac, or in a cheesy quesadilla. I’ve even had it alongside eggs or topped on tortilla chips like mini tostadas. Next time I’ll be throwing it in a soft roll and serving it as a torta.

Continue reading pork tacos recipe . . .

AVOCADO-TOMATILLO SALSA

Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

You’d never know it, but just off of Highway 1, in the sleepy Sonoma Coast town of Gualala, there lives an authentic gem of a taquería the likes of which are seldom found in the heart of a big city.  Tucked into the corner of the ever-depressing Sundstrom Mall and flanked by a glowing bakery case packed with a plethora of sub-par pastries you’ll find, Gualala Pizza & Bakery.  Try not to let the name fool you — or the locals for that matter (they’ll be the ones inexplicably munching away on pizza and burgers), it’s the Mexican food you’re here for, and man is it ever good!  We’re talking handmade corn tortillas, carnitas-packed gorditas, delectable barbacoa burritos and my personal favorite: Baja-style, beer-battered salmon tacos.  Everything is fresh, delicious and affordable, but for me, it’s their “complimentary” avocado-tomatillo salsa that has me coming back to this place.

Slathered on tacos or used as a dip for their fried-to-order tortilla chips, this sauce is good on anything.  I was beginning to think that I was the only one who had an unhealthy relationship with this spicy green salsa, that is, until a family member stepped forward to shed light on their own addiction.  My sister confessed to regularly smuggling out a few extra containers to use at home for her own culinary concoctions.  It may be paranoia, but I think they might have caught-on to our little scheme because they no longer set out those little plastic cups.  So, suffering from severe withdrawal, I finally set out to whip up a batch myself.

It took patience and careful planning, but by asking the ladies behind the counter a few well-positioned questions scattered over the course of a couple of visits, I was able to deduce that it consisted of canned (not fresh) tomatillos as its base with ripe avocado accounting for its creamy texture.  With only a handful of obvious ingredients (lime, chiles, garlic) making up the remainder of the mix, I played around with several brands of tomatillos and searched for the perfect ratio of avocado.  In the end, I think I got something that’s pretty close.  My cravings have been dealt with for now, but it’s only a matter of time before I get a hankering for one of those unbeatable fish tacos.

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RED CHILE BEEF TOSTADAS

Red Chile Beef Tostada

If you have any smoky chipotle black beans leftover, you might want to consider making this tostada — a dish that represents the marriage of two of my all-time favorite recipes.

Lucky enough to live only a short drive from the Napa Valley, I’ve had the opportunity to dine at Cindy Pawlcyn’s restaurants since I was a boy.  Having eaten amazing meals at Go Fish and Mustards Grill, the most memorable dish came on a visit to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen for lunch when I first tasted her famous Rabbit Tostada.  Imagine tender, juicy chile-braised rabbit nestled on top of warm, earthy black beans and a crispy fried tortilla.  Finished with a refreshing salad of herbs, thinly sliced cabbage and tart feta cheese, quite simply, this is as good as a tostada can get.

The other half of this recipe comes from pioneering chef, Robert Del Grande and his restaurant, Cafe Annie.  While I still haven’t had the opportunity to visit the iconic Houston restaurant, I have made his signature bar staple, Black Bean Nachos with Red Chile Beef.  With each tortilla chip covered in the perfect amount of over five different flavor components, it goes without saying that these were the most delicious and extravagant nachos I’d ever eaten.  However, at a prep time of close to three hours, I haven’t gotten around to making them as often as I would like.

Hence, the Red Chile Beef Tostada was born.  Taking key elements from each dish, I’ve put together a recipe that pays homage to the very best of each chef.  Rich, meaty red chile beef fills in for the guajillo-braised rabbit in Cindy’s dish, whereas a black bean topped tostada and refreshing cabbage slaw takes the place of the bite-size nacho in Robert’s.  The result is too delicious to describe. You’re just going to have to try it.

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SMOKY CHIPOTLE BLACK BEANS

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Few dishes compliment the bold, spicy flavors of Mexican food better than a bowl of warm, perfectly seasoned black beans.  Thrown in a burrito in place of boring old pintos, these smoky black beans instantly add another dimension to your everyday Mexican repertoire.  In my opinion, this is a side that’s good enough to stand on its own as a main course.   Garnished with a bit of cilantro, some crumbled queso fresco and maybe a dollop of crema, this is Mexican comfort food at its best.  And, at a prep time of just over 30 minutes, this is great for a weeknight meal.

The main flavor component of this side dish is the earthy, smoky chipotle chile.  If you’ve never worked with the dried version before, this recipe is a great introduction; their inherent flavor shines through without being overshadowed by the tomato and vinegar based adobo sauce found in canned varieties.  For this recipe I used the morita chipotle but if you can only find canned chipotles in adobo, I definitely recommend going with La Morena brand.

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